Truth and Lies
by BubblyShell22
Summary: When April mysteriously disappears, the Turtles are determined to find out what happened to her. Three years later, they begin receiving text messages. Has April returned, or is someone playing a cruel game to lure the Turtles into a trap?
1. Chapter 1

Truth and Lies

Chapter 1: Missing

A/N: Hey, guys, I thought I'd introduce you to another plot bunny that's bitten me. This will take place within the 2012 universe. I don't think anything like this has been done before, and I'm eager to share this with you guys. So, I hope you enjoy it. I'll explain more about it at the end and what I want to accomplish with this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and any other characters you may not recognize.

Summary: When April mysteriously disappears, the Turtles are determined to find out what happened to her. Three years later, they begin receiving text messages. Has April returned, or is someone playing a cruel game to lure the Turtles into a trap?

"I'm so glad school is over," sixteen-year-old April O'Neil said as she sank onto the couch in her friends' living area. It was always such a relief for April to be able to spend time with her four best friends, who she often thought of as her brothers. The fact that they were mutant turtles hadn't bothered her after they rescued her from a group of aliens known as the Kraang. These same aliens had kidnapped her father, but the Turtles had been able to rescue him as well.

"Yeah, now we can have you here more often," Michelangelo said as he carried some pizza boxes over to them. "This'll be the best slumber party ever!"

"It's not a slumber party, Mikey," April reminded him. "I still have to go home. Dad and I are going to Florida on vacation, remember?"

Mikey's face fell. "Oh, yeah, I forgot," he said. "I wish we could come with you."

"Don't worry, I'll bring something cool for you," she told him.

Mikey's face instantly lit up. "Sweet!" he cried. "I want a seashell so I can listen to the ocean talking to me."

"The sea doesn't talk from inside the shell, Mikey," Donatello corrected him. "It's just a noise that mimics the sound of the sea."

"Hey, some of us like to use our imagination!" replied Mikey.

"Keep it down, you two!" chastised Leonardo. "I'm trying to watch this." He was engrossed in another exciting episode of Space Heroes.

"Leo, you've seen this one about five times," complained Raphael. "I doubt April wants to watch this anyway. Let her pick the channel."

"Well, I did bring a movie for us to watch," suggested April. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a DVD.

Raph took it and looked at the cover. "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," he read from the cover. "You want us to watch a girl movie?"

"Yeah, it's about friendship, and we are friends, aren't we?"

"Oooh, I love this book series!" Mikey cried. "Let's watch it!"

"It could be interesting," Don said. "I'm in."

"So am I," added Leo.

Raph sighed. "Okay, but I'm not gonna like it," he warned them.

But as it turned out, Raph did end up liking it. As the plot progressed, the Turtles became engrossed in the four stories the film showed and how they all connected. Mikey cried during the scene where Tibby begs Bailey to take the Pants, and all of the Turtles felt sad during that scene, though Raph denied it.

"Man, that was great," said Mikey as the movie ended. "I'd love to go out with Bridget."

"She's not real, you idiot," Raph reminded him.

"I know, but it would still be cool," replied Mikey. "I think you'd get along with Carmen, Raph, since you both have bad tempers."

"Oh, I wouldn't go out with her," grumbled Raph. "She's too ugly."

"She's got a nice rack," answered Mikey.

"Mikey, would you please not say that?" April begged. "It's so demeaning. I hate how men base a woman's worth on the size of their breasts. They should worry more about personality. Besides, I think Raph is a combination of Carmen and Tibby."

"I think I'm like Bridget," Mikey declared. "I'm pretty athletic like she is."

"Raph has some of Bee in him, too," April said. "He's reckless like she is."

"Hey, I resent that!" Raph said, offended.

"Don's a lot like Lena," Mikey said. "He's kind of shy and afraid to really open up sometimes."

"Okay, then who am I like?" Leo asked them.

"You're a little like Tibby," April said. "You have an interest and you are dedicated to it like she is."

"I feel sorry for Bridget," said Leo. "She has to deal with not having a mom around, and I'm sure it's hard to deal with that."

"I know how she feels," said April sadly.

The Turtles exchanged sad looks. They had only recently learned that April's mother had died in a car crash while on her way home from work. It had taken April a long time to trust them before she told them, and she revealed that only a few select people knew about it.

The sad moment passed as Mikey passed around more pizza, and they began to talk about other subjects. April talked about Florida and how excited she was to go there. Mikey asked her to bring Mickey Mouse's autograph as well as a seashell, and she said she'd try her best.

"We're going to miss you, April," said Don dejectedly.

"Hey, it's only for a few weeks," she replied. "It'll go by so fast, and you'll see me again before you know it." She looked at her T-Phone to check the time. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. Our plane leaves early."

"Do you want us to take you home?" Leo asked her.

"Nah, you can just walk me to the nearest manhole cover," she said. "I'll be fine."

Leo nodded even though he couldn't shake the funny feeling that something was wrong.

The Turtles escorted her to the nearest manhole cover, laughing and joking along the way. They were going to miss her so much and she them. As they neared the manhole cover that would take April to the surface, she turned and gave each Turtle a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"See you guys in a few weeks," she said. "Stay out of trouble."

"We'll try, April," said Leo. "Have a safe trip."

"I will," she promised. "'Bye."

They watched as she ascended the ladder and disappeared out of the manhole. Then they headed back to their own home, realizing how empty the days were going to be without their friend. Shaking off the feeling, the four of them headed to bed so they could get some sleep before morning training.

But a few hours later, Don was awakened by the sound of his T-Phone ringing. Cursing himself for not turning it off, Don picked up the phone and saw that April's father was calling.

"Hello?" he said.

"Donnie, have you seen April?" Kirby asked. "Did she decide to spend the night with you?"

"No, we escorted her to the manhole cover and watched her leave," Don replied. "Leo wanted us to take her home, but she said she'd be fine."

"Well, I'm calling to let you know that April isn't home yet, and she never forgets to call me if she'll be late," Kirby explained.

"She's not there?" Don cried, panic lacing his voice. April never forgot to check in after she made it home. It was an agreement they had all made with her. "Have you called the police?"

"Not yet," Kirby answered. "I was hoping you would know something. But now it looks like I'll have no choice. I can't think of anywhere else she'd be."

"She may have been kidnapped by the Kraang," Don mused.

"I thought of that myself," Kirby told him. "I don't know if going to the police is a good idea if she has been kidnapped by them though. And if I tell her she was out with friends, they're going to want to question you guys, and I don't want that to happen."

Don sighed. "I know, but we may not have a choice," he said. "Hang on, Mr. O'Neil, I'm going to get my brothers and tell them what's going on." He ran from his room and woke his brothers and father up. They gathered in the living room, and Don put Kirby on speaker phone so he could relay what had happened to April.

"It could be the Kraang, the Foot, or the Purple Dragons who took April," Leo said. "We need to search all of these avenues and see if there are any leads. In the meantime, you'd better call the police, Mr. O'Neil. If you don't, it'll look suspicious, and we can't do anything during the day, so maybe they'll have more luck. If we find anything, we'll let you know."

"Thanks, Leo," Kirby said. "April is so lucky to have friends like you. I'll still be in touch, okay? Just try to get some sleep for now. I know you'll do everything you can to get April back. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"That will be fine, Kirby," Splinter said. "I wish you the best of luck with the police."

"Thank you, Master Splinter," Kirby replied. "Goodbye."

After Kirby hung up, the Turtles exchanged sad looks. This couldn't be happening to them. How could April just disappear without a trace?

"Man, this sucks," Raph grumbled. "How could someone do this?"

"I bet she's scared," Mikey mused. "She's all alone with no one to be with her. We have to find her."

"We'll try our best, Mikey," Leo reassured him. "I knew we should have taken her home. We could have prevented this from happening."

Splinter laid a paw on his son's shoulder. "There is nothing you can do now," he said gently. "And even if you had taken her home, there would be no guarantee that this would not have happened then. Do not blame yourselves for what happened. All we can do is wait and hope for the best. I know this is hard on you, my sons, but we cannot give up. For now, you should try and get some rest. We will discuss this tomorrow."

"Hai, Sensei," answered the Turtles. They bowed to him and left for their rooms, wondering what the next morning would bring. Sleep didn't come easy for any of them. Leo was still blaming himself for what happened to April and wondered if they'd ever get her back. Raph was remembering the time April had taken care of Spike when he was sick and hadn't laughed at him for being so concerned. Don was worried about April and remembering something that happened between them and a letter he'd sent to her shortly after that. Mikey was crying in his pillow and was remembering the time April had stuck up for him when Raph teased him. And all of them were thinking the same thing: Was she ever coming back?

22222

The next day was a hard one for the Turtles as they remembered what had happened to April. Kirby called them to explain that he'd phoned the police and they were working on an investigation. He had told them that April had been at Murakami's noodle shop before she disappeared and had the story with Mr. Murakami, who had had agreed to help out in order to protect the Turtles. Kirby promised to keep them updated, and they promised him that they'd look into their leads that night.

Splinter had decided to postpone training as he felt his sons wouldn't be up to it under these circumstances. He felt badly for them and also felt his own sadness. He had begun to regard April as a second daughter though he knew no one could replace Miwa. And now that April was gone, he felt that same sadness he'd felt at the loss of Teng Shen and his daughter. His dearest hope was that April would come back to them so that he and his sons could be happy again.

That night, the Turtles set out on their mission to find their friend. Don had made some devices that would pick up conversation and transmit it to the Lair. The plan was to implant these devices on the Kraang, Foot, and Purple Dragons so that they could get information on April's whereabouts. Don had offered to stay in the Lair to test whether these devices worked while the others went to plant the devices on their targets.

"Okay, Raph, you've got The Purple Dragons," Leo instructed. "I've got the Foot Ninja, and Mikey, you've got the Kraang."

"Why do I have to be the one to do that to the Kraang?" Mikey complained.

"Because that's the way it works," Raph replied.

"Just remind yourself that you're doing it for April," Leo encouraged him. "You do want to find her, don't you?"

Mikey's blue eyes flashed in anger. "Of course I want to find her!" he said defensively.

"Good, now let's get moving," said Leo. "We'll meet back here when we're done and then head back to the Lair. Be careful, guys."

"You, too, bro," said Raph.

"I will," replied Leo.

The three of them gave each other a high three for luck and then departed their separate ways.

22222

Raph raced across the rooftops until he spotted a group of Purple Dragons in an alley. It looked like they were doing a drug deal of some sort. He waited for a minute and then dropped down behind them. He had been planning to just drop the device on the first Purple Dragon who came his way, but this seemed like a better plan.

"So, you guys havin' a party?" he asked.

One of the Dragons growled, "Stay out of this, freak."

"I'd love to, but if you're givin' that stuff to kids, I can't let that happen," Raph replied as he took out his sai.

"Bring it on, freak!" one of the Dragons said. He made a motion to his fellow members, and they advanced on the red-clad Turtle.

Raph smirked and waited for their attack. As one of the Dragons came at him, he parried the attack from the pipe and swept the Dragon's legs out from under him. Another Dragon came at him from behind with a long chain, but Raph was prepared and caught the chain between the prong of his sai and whipped it forward, causing the Dragon to land face fist into the concrete. Raph pinned the member down and discreetly put the device on him without the Dragon's knowledge before the third member came to try and pry Raph off of his friend. Raph threw his head back and hit the Dragon square in the nose. The other Dragons got ready to defend their comrade, but before they could do anything, Raph used a smoke bomb to escape from them.

"Donnie, Operation Purple Dragon was a success," he reported.

"Good," Don replied. "Let's hope it works."

"I just hope Mikey and Leo will get theirs planted without any trouble," Raph answered.

22222

Meanwhile, Leo was doing his best to try and find a Foot Ninja to plant his device on. He was determined to get answers about what happened to April. Suddenly, he spotted some Foot Ninjas across from where he was and immediately gave chase. He planned on being very stealthy about this and hoped that Mikey and Raph remembered that as well. Leo followed the Ninjas until they disappeared into an alleyway and waited to sew what they would do.

"Why are we wasting our time out here?" one of them complained.

"Because Master Shredder told us to," another answered. "The Turtles normally patrol the city, and if we see one of them, we should take them to Master Shredder. He wants to take care of them himself."

Leo hesitated, unsure of how he was going to pull this off. He thought about just dropping the device and hoping that it landed where he wanted it to, but he thought that there was a possibility it wouldn't go well if he tried that. He shifted a little, and some pieces of the building came loose and fell. One of the Foot Ninjas immediately looked up and spotted him.

"Shit!" he cursed. How could he have been so careless? Seeing no other option, Leo jumped down and confronted the Foot Ninjas, his katanas in hand.

"Why are you spying on us, Turtle?" one of them demanded.

"I wasn't," Leo answered. "I was passing by when I heard you discussing my brothers and me, so I decided to keep listening."

"Well, it's a shame you won't live long enough to tell your family what you heard," the second Ninja growled.

"No, you idiot!" the first one snapped. "Master Shredder wants to finish them off himself."

"But if we do it, we'll be honored for getting rid of one of his enemies," the second Ninja replied.

Leo had heard enough. Before the first one could respond, he used the handle of his katana to knock the man out cold. The second Ninja gasped and then became angry.

"How dare you hurt my comrade?" he shouted.

"Sorry, he was getting on my nerves," replied Leo.

The second Ninja growled and attacked Leo, his katana raised. Leo feinted to the left, and the Ninja fell for it, causing Leo to sweep his legs out from under him. Leo pinned him, pointing his katana at the Ninja's throat.

"Listen, a friend of ours disappeared yesterday, and I want answers," Leo growled. "What have you done with her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" spat the Foot Ninja.

"So, you didn't kidnap April O'Neil as a way to get back at us?"

"The Master doesn't want your friend," the Ninja answered. "He wants you. If you come quietly, it will be easier for you."

Leo smirked. "Sorry, I prefer to go home," he said. Then in one swift motion, he slit the Ninja's throat. He went to the first one and planted the device on him. Then he escaped as quickly as he could before more Ninjas arrived on the scene.

"Donnie, Operation Foot Ninja was a success," he said.

"Great," said Don. "Raph was successful, too. Now all we need to do is hope that Mikey is successful in his attempt."

"Do you think Raph and I should go help him?" Leo asked.

"Maybe you should go there just in case," Don replied.

"Good thinking," Leo responded.

22222

Mikey was not a happy Turtle at the moment. He couldn't believe that he was the one who had to plant a device on the Kraang. It should have been either Leo or Raph since they were better at this stuff. But then he thought of April and how she was missing. They had to get answers, and if this was the way to do it, then he would do his best to get the answers they needed.

"You're doing this for April," he said to himself. "You want to get her back." The words became a mantra to him, and he kept repeating them as he made his way to the Kraang's hideout. He slipped inside through a window and spotted a whole group of Kraang milling around inside. How was he going to be able to do this?

Mikey spotted a Kraang droid among some boxes. The orange-clad Turtle took out some rope and tied it to a beam. Then he slowly lowered the rope carefully and inched his way down to the Kraang. His hands were sweaty due to his nervousness, but he kept on going until he was able to put the device on the back of the Kraang's suit. Satisfied that he'd succeeded, Mikey began to climb up the rope, but his sweaty hands caused him to lose his grip. With a cry, he landed on his shell in the midst of the Kraang.

"Uh-oh," he said as the Kraang spotted him. He knew he was in trouble now.

"Kraang, it is one of the ones who call themselves the Turtles," one of the Kraang said.

"Yes, Kraang, he has invaded the place where he is not supposed to be in this place," another said. "Therefore, he should be eliminated from this place where he is not supposed to be."

"Oh yeah?" said Mikey. "Well, you'll have to catch me first. So long, suckers!" He threw down a smoke bomb, which enveloped him in purple smoke. When it cleared, Mikey wasn't there.

"Kraang, where is the one who invaded this place?" asked one of the Kraang.

"I do not know, Kraang," answered another one. "Perhaps we should look for the one who invaded this place where he was not supposed to be."

"That is a good idea, Kraang," said the first one.

Meanwhile, Mikey had escaped and was on his way to meet his brothers. "Don, Operation Kraang was a success," he reported.

"Good job, Mikey," Don said. "I guess Leo and Raph won't have to help you after all."

"Wait, you were gonna send them after me?" Mikey asked him.

"Well, yeah, just as a precaution," Don answered. "But I don't need to now."

"I'll see you at the Lair," Mikey said as he arrived at the meeting place. He couldn't believe Don was going to send Leo and Raph after him as though he couldn't do anything himself. Not too long after, Leo and Raph showed up.

"Don told us you plated the devices on the Kraang," Leo reported. "Good job, Mikey."

"Yeah, it's about time you did something on your own," Raph added.

"Hey, I can do stuff on my own!" Mikey replied, offended.

"That's enough, guys," Leo said. "Let's get back to the Lair and see what we can find."

22222

The devices did what Don wanted them to do, but while the Turtles listened to other conversations, they found no information on what happened to April. Don continued to listen in, hoping he would hear something, but none of their enemies had any information regarding their best friend. A year went by, and April still didn't come home. The police questioned everyone they knew, but no one knew where April was. Two years later, Kirby left for a job in California and lost touch with the Turtles.

As time went on, the Turtles began to lose hope of ever finding out what happened to April. They continued to search and wait, but they soon had to face a fact that had been haunting them ever since April's disappearance.

April wasn't coming back.

A/N: Wow. I can't believe I've written fifteen pages. So, my intention for this story is for it to be like the book series Pretty Little Liars, except that some of the things that happened in that series won't happen in this story. It'll be my own version of that series with a Turtles twist. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try my best to get it up soon. Please feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Wanted: A Best Friend

A/N: And here's Mikey's chapter. Things are really going to be spicing up as far as the plot now. I want to thank all of those who have taken the time to read and review this story. Your support means the world to me, and I hope you stick around for this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT is owned by Nick. I own only the plot.

Michelangelo jumped from the rooftops on his way to Murakami's noodle shop. This was the anniversary of April's disappearance, and it was still hard to face. It had been three years since April had vanished without a trace, and things had changed for Mikey and his brothers. Don continued to search for clues to April's disappearance as though he didn't want to give up. Raph stayed out late at night and had become angrier that they still didn't know what had happened to their friend. Leo trained more obsessively than ever before while Mikey was often by himself at times.

Although Raph and Leo had lost hope that April was going to come back to them and Donnie continued to search, though he seemed to lose hope, too, Mikey remained optimistic. He longed to hear April greet them as she entered the Lair and give them each a big hug. But as time passed, Mikey also began to long for another friend, which was why he hung around Mr. Murakami. It was April who had introduced the Turtles to Mr. Murakami in the first place, and Mikey was thankful that she had.

"Ah, Michelangelo-san," Murakami greeted him. "It is nice to see you. How are you doing?"

"Fine," Mikey answered.

"It has been a while since your last visit," Murakami noted. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, it's just that we've been busy with training," answered Mikey. "We've also been patrolling a lot lately."

"I see," mused Murakami. "How are your brothers?"

"They're hanging in there," said Mikey. "Leo's has the flu though. That's kind of why I stopped by. I was wondering if you would make him some soup. He hasn't really eaten anything all day."

"Of course, I can help," replied Murakami. "I believe chicken noodle soup would be best for him. It often helps me when I am sick. Here, I saved some pizza gyoza just for you."

"Thanks," said Mikey as he accepted his favorite food. His eyes roamed around the shop until he spotted a bulletin board that was filled with fliers. He eyes stopped on a poster that he'd seen three years ago. It was the poster Kirby had made when April had vanished. Just seeing her picture caused a lump to form in Mikey's throat. It wasn't fair that she was gone.

"Murakami-san, why do you still have the poster of April?" Mikey asked him.

Murakami sighed. "I know it has been a long time, but I just cannot bring myself to take it down," he answered. "It has been hard for all of us, Michelangelo-san. I keep hoping that maybe if I keep the poster up there, she will come back."

"Yeah, I know," agreed Mikey. "I think if she came back maybe my brothers would be happy again. Raph goes out all the time, Leo keeps on training, and Don's just a shell of himself. If I didn't have you to talk to, Murakami-san, I don't know what I'd do. I just feel like we're falling apart as a family. It's just not right."

"What does your Sensei think of this?"

Mikey sighed. "He's just as sad as the rest of us," he replied. "He thought of April like his daughter. I mean, he's doing his best to try and help us move on, but it's just as hard for him as it is for us."

"I can understand that," Murakami said. "I have a granddaughter who is April's age. I cannot imagine how I would feel if something like this had happened to her."

Mikey didn't really know what to say to that. "Look, I gotta go," he said. "I want to make sure Leo gets his soup."

"Here, take some pizza gyoza with you," Murakami said as he wrapped them up and gave Mikey the soup. He put it all in a bag so Mikey could carry it home. Mikey reached into his belt for some money, but Murakami insisted that Mikey take it without paying. The orange-clad Turtle thanked him and promised to visit again soon.

When Mikey arrived home he found Leo on the couch wrapped in his Space Heroes blanket April had gotten him for Christmas watching an episode of Space Heroes. Raph was in the recliner reading a comic book which he put down when Mikey came in. Don was nowhere in sight, but Mikey knew that he was in his lab and that Splinter was in his own room.

"Hey, Leo, how are you feeling?" Mikey asked his older brother.

"A little better," answered Leo. "At least I'm not nauseated anymore."

"That's good. You up for some soup? Murakami-san made it just for you."

"Sure, I'll have some. I should probably try some crackers first to make sure I can keep food down."

"Good, I'll get you something to drink," said Mikey. "7-Up or Sprite?"

"Either one will do."

"Coming right up," declared Mikey. He went into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator for some Sprite. He took it out, retrieved Leo's Space Heroes cup (another present from April), and poured the drink with some ice to keep it cold. Then he took out the bowl of soup and carried it on a tray to Leo.

"Thanks, Mikey," said Leo as he took the items from his brother. "Wait, what about the crackers?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about those," said Mikey with a slap to his forehead. He went back to the kitchen and retrieved the packets of crackers Murakami had given him with the soup and gave them to Leo.

"Well, you guys don't need me anymore," said Raph. "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going, Raph?" asked Leo.

"Out," Raph replied. "Mikey's here, so he can watch you for a while I need some air."

"Look, maybe you should stay here tonight," Leo suggested. "You've been out all week."

"Why? So I can watch you almost hack up a lung while you watch your stupid cartoon, or so I can wait for Don to come out of his lab? Forget that! I've gotta get out of here right now."

Leo normally would have challenged his temperamental brother, but he was still sick and didn't feel like getting into a fight. With a sigh of resignation, he said, "Okay, Raph, you can go out. Just try to be careful, okay?"

"Leo, I'll be fine," Raph reassured him. "Stop worryin' before you make yourself sicker."

"Make sure you keep your T-Phone on and call us if you get into trouble," Leo cautioned.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Yes, Master Splinter," he mocked. "Besides, if I do get into trouble, the only one who'd be able to help me out is Mikey. Look, I'll see you guys later. You don't have to wait up." He waved to them and left.

Mikey couldn't help but feel sad as he watched his red-clad brother leave. He really wanted everyone to stay together. He turned to his blue-clad brother. "Hey, Leo, has Don come out of his lab at all?"

A sad look crossed Leo's face. "He's only come out to use the bathroom," he replied. "You know how Donnie gets when this day rolls around."

Mikey nodded. While it was hard for all of them to fathom that April was gone, Don was taking it the hardest. They all knew that Don had liked April as more than a friend, and it was this fact that made it harder for him to accept that April wasn't coming back. None of them really knew what he did in his lab, but they all suspected it had something to do with finding out what happened to April.

"Maybe someone should go talk to him," Mikey suggested. He couldn't stand the thought of Donnie just shutting himself away from everyone.

Leo shook his head. "We've tried that before, remember?" he reminded him. "Donnie won't budge. It's just best to leave him alone. Hey, Space Heroes is almost over. You want to play a video game?"

Normally Mikey would have jumped at the chance to play a video game with Leo, but today he just wasn't in the mood. "Nah, I'm gonna go to my room and work on some drawings," he answered.

"Okay, have fun."

Mikey nodded and made his way to his room. Once there, he took out his sketch pad and began to look at some of his other work. He stopped on a picture of April he had drawn shortly before she disappeared. She was in the middle of practicing a kata Splinter had taught her, and Mikey had decided to draw it. Her leg was up in a kick, her eyes focused and determined to get the move right as she always was whenever she tried something. As Mikey looked at the picture, a memory came to him and hit him hard like a charging bull before he had time to really think.

22222

"Wow, these are really good, Mikey," April commented as she looked at his drawings.

"Nah, they aren't that great," he replied as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Mikey, they are!" April insisted. "You're really good at this stuff. Have you ever thought about showing these in an exhibition?"

"What's that?"

"It's an art show where people come to see your work," April explained. "If someone sees a painting they like, they can pay to have it."

"Really? Cool. But I don't think that would work, April. I'm a mutant turtle. No one would want to see art made by someone like me."

"Well, maybe you could send in your art anonymously," April suggested. "I'm sure there are contests where you can enter your stuff."

"That's not a good idea, April," Mikey told her. "I'm a ninja, remember? I operate in the shadows. But if it makes you feel better, I'm flattered that you think my work is cool."

April smiled. "I really do like it," she said. "Would you draw something just for me?"

"Sure," Mikey replied. "Anything in particular?"

"Nope just whatever you can come up with," she answered.

Mikey nodded and watched as she left his room. Shortly after that, Mikey had drawn the picture of April performing the kata and had intended to give it to her for her birthday in June, but he'd never had the chance.

22222

Mikey sighed as he snapped out of the memory. It wasn't healthy to dwell on things like this. He found a blank page and got ready to draw when his T-Phone went off. He pulled it out and saw that he had a new text message. It was probably from Raph saying he was in trouble, Mikey thought, but when Mikey read the text he saw that it wasn't from Raph.

**Hey, Mikey, how's the drawing coming? I can't wait to see how cool it is. Talk to you later. –A. **

Mikey's mouth hung open as he stared at the text. He knew Raph wouldn't send him a text like that, not even for a joke. Besides, none of his brothers knew about the drawing he had been planning to give to April. This could only mean one thing.

April was back.

A/N: Dun! Dun! Duuuun! And now the plot thickens. So, is it really April who's texting them? Well, you'll have to read on to find out. Next up is Don's chapter, and it'll be an interesting one to say the least. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Things I'll Never Say

A/N: I know it's been a while since I posted another chapter, and I apologize for that. I've been having a lot of sinus trouble, but I'm okay now, so I thought it would be good to post this. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you like this story, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it. I know that Irma has not officially been used on the show, but I thought it would be cool to use her for the sake of this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. Irma Langenstein is property of Fred Wolf for now unless Nick decides to use her.

Donatello rubbed his eyes. He'd been in his lab for a few days now trying to gather the courage to send an e-mail to April's father. He hadn't talked to Kirby in a long time, and he thought that now was the time to try and contact him again. He wanted to reassure Kirby that he was doing everything he could to solve the mystery of April's disappearance. He hadn't found any leads so far, but he was determined to keep at it, even though his brothers had begged him to just let it go. But then again, they didn't really understand how Don felt about April.

He stared at the e-mail again, making sure that he had worded it right. He didn't want to end up saying the wrong thing to her father.

**Dear Kirby,**

**How are you? I'm doing good. I just wanted to write to you to see how you were holding up. I know it's been three years since April disappeared and that you still miss her. My brothers and I still do, too. I'm still doing my best to try and find out what happened to her. I haven't come up with any answers yet, but I won't rest until I find out what happened to her. I owe both you and her that at least. Just know that I think about her all the time and what a good friend she was to my brothers and me. I hope that you'll get in touch with me soon. **

**Sincerely,**

**Hamato Donatello**

Yes, that looked fine. He'd been sending e-mails to Kirby every year on the anniversary of April's disappearance, but he'd never gotten a response back. Maybe this time would be different though. He hit Send and watched as it was confirmed that the e-mail was sent. Then he sat back and thought about April and what she would look like now. His mind bombarded him with memories of the times he spent with her, but one memory stood out more vividly than any of the others.

22222

"Thanks for coming over to help me, Donnie," April said gratefully as she retrieved another chair for him to sit on.

"No problem," Don replied. "You know I'm always happy to help out when you need it."

"Equations are just so hard," she groaned. "I know it should be easy for me since my dad's a scientist, but I get so confused sometimes."

"Well, that's why I'm here," Don told her. "Let me see what you have to do for homework."

April showed him where she was having trouble, and Don guided her through it, using a method that would be easy for her to grasp. She listened to him and understood exactly what he was saying. He did a few problems and urged her to try it for herself.

"Oh, now I get it!" April said happily. "Thanks, Donnie!" She threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.

It was as she pulled away that it happened. Donnie didn't know what came over him, but the next thing he knew, he had leaned over and kissed April right on her lips. It didn't last long because April pulled away, her blue eyes wide with shock.

"April, I—I'm so sorry," Don whispered. "I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again. I promise."

"That's okay, Donnie," she replied. "You're a great tutor. Thanks for your help." Then she started rambling about a boy at school who she thought had a crush on her and how he often tried to talk to her. He tried to listen, but his mind was fixed on the kiss and how it felt to have April's lips on his.

"Donnie, are you listening to me?" April asked him.

"Huh?" Don looked at her, snapping out of his thoughts. "Sorry, April, my mind wandered there for a second. What were you saying?"

She sighed. "Never mind. I'll tell you when you're not so distracted."

"Okay," Don said. "I have to get home anyway. I'll see you at practice tomorrow, right?"

"Count on it," April told him.

He smiled at her and exited her room. After that day, April became distant with him and made sure they were never alone together. Don knew he wouldn't be able to talk to her about this, so he wrote a letter instead and mailed it to her. He never got a response and wondered if she'd ever read it. He had meant to ask her about it, but she vanished before he had the chance.

22222

Don's thoughts were interrupted by a noise from his computer that indicated he had an instant message. He clicked on it and read what was on the screen.

**Irma: Hey, Don, what are you up to? **

Don couldn't help but smile. He'd become friends with Irma shortly after April disappeared when he'd rescued her from some Purple Dragons. He knew that she'd been friends with April and that she was just as sad about her disappearance as he was. Since then, they'd often met together to discuss things, but now Irma was in college and had decided to take summer classes so that she could finish sooner.

**Don: Hi, Irma. Not much. You?" **

**Irma: Oh, just finishing up a story for class. It's a creative writing class. **

**Don: Oh, I see. That's neat. **

**Irma: How are your brothers doing? **

Don smiled again. She never failed to ask that whenever she talked to him. Although the other Turtles had met Irma, they never tried to get close to her the way they did with April. It was understandable why they didn't want to get close to her, but Don continued to remain on good terms with her because he really wanted a friend.

**Don: They're okay. Leo had the flu all day though. **

**Irma: Sorry to hear that. Is he better now?" **

**Don: Yeah, Mikey brought him some soup from Murakami's. I should probably check on him though. **

**Irma: Yeah, maybe you'd better. I think he'd like that. I know today has been hard for you because of what happened. I'm surprised there have been no leads for three years. **

**Don: Yeah, I know. I'm still trying my best to find her, Irma. I owe her that. **

**Irma: I know, Donnie. Don't get yourself stressed over this. You can't afford to get sick, too. **

**Don: You're right. Thanks, Irma. **

**Irma: No problem. Well, I supposed I'd better get back to work. I've still got some math problems to do as well as this story. I'll talk to you later, okay?"**

**Don: Okay. Have fun with your math problems. **

**Irma: Will do. Bye. **

**Don: Bye. **

After Irma signed off, Don decided to check his e-mail one last time before checking up on Leo. He spotted one more message, but it wasn't from Kirby. It was a combination of letters and numbers, and the subject line read "Awww! How sweet!" Curious, Don clicked on it.

**Awww! How sweet. You've found someone else to talk online with. Are you going to kiss her, too? –A**

Don gasped as he read the message. This couldn't be happening. There was only one person who knew what he'd done.

April.

A/N: So, things are really starting to heat up now, aren't they? I swear, I'm having so much fun writing this story and taking the Turtles on this journey. Next chapter is Raphael's, so we'll get to see what he's been up to since all of this happened. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bending The Rules

A/N: Hey, I'm back with another update. Now, I originally wrote Casey Jones into this chapter, but I figured that since Casey hasn't been introduced into the show yet that it wouldn't be a good idea to use him since I wouldn't be able to really tell his personality. So, instead I'm using Lucindra from the Mirage comics as I thought it would be something different and a little unique. I haven't actually read the comics, but I know enough about her background based on what certain authors have told me that I figured it would be okay to use her for this. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed so far. It really means a lot to me. I'm also going to give a shout out to any anonymous reviewers in my chapter stories since I can't respond to them the way I can with signed reviewers.

Guest: I hear you about the mystery thing. I really like reading them and think they're so good. I also love writing them, and I'm having a good time with this one. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: TMNT is owned by Nickelodeon. Lucindra is property of Mirage comics. I'm only borrowing her for the sake of this story.

Raphael leaped across the rooftops, happy to be out in the fresh air. It was so depressing in the Lair, and Raph didn't think he could take any more of that. They were all sad about today, but Raph knew the perfect way to cheer up. He didn't want to dwell on what might have happened to April.

"It's about time you got here," a voice said as Raph landed on another rooftop. A woman wearing a red shirt and jeans was standing there. She smiled as she surveyed Raph, and he knew she was happy to see him.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't just leave without telling anyone," Raph replied. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture. Raph had met Lucindra Monroe shortly after April disappeared. The red-clad Turtle had been keeping tabs on the Purple Dragons when he spotted a girl probably as old as him trying to fight them. Raph could tell that her fighting skills needed work, so he had joined the fray and tried to help her out. Lucindra hadn't been happy to see him at first and had been offended when he told her she wasn't a good fighter. But soon things changed, and Raph began helping her by teaching her some self-defense, and their friendship bloomed from there.

"So, how's Spike doin'?" Lucindra asked him. She was the only one apart from Raph's family and April who knew about Spike. When Raph first talked about his pet turtle, he thought that Lucindra would laugh at him about it, but she didn't. Instead, she thought it was cool and envied him for having a pet. She told him that she'd always wanted a dog, but they could never afford to get one.

"Pretty good," replied Raph. "I'm surprised he's still around." He wasn't sure how long a regular turtle's lifespan was, but he was glad that Spike was still with him.

"And how are your brothers?"

Raph sighed. "They're hangin' in there, I guess," he said. "We go through the motions because we have to, but it's always hard when this day comes around. We just can't accept that this is the end, you know? Don keeps tryin' to find out what happened to her even though he can't find any leads. Leo keeps blamin' himself for not takin' her home and Mikey's so lost without her. Splinter looks so dejected and has a picture of April next to the one of Teng Shen and Miwa. And me, I just wish I could get ahold of who did this to her and make them pay."

"I understand how you feel," Lucindra said. "I wish I could get ahold of the punks who killed my brother, but I don't know who did it. The thing is, I'll never know how it ended and who did it, and that's what hurts the most. Mom keeps tellin' me to move on, but it's too damn hard to do that. She smiled. "But I know somethin' that'll cheer us both up." She motioned with her hand, and Raph joined her near the alley where a group of Purple Dragons were harassing a young woman.

"They just don't know when to quit, do they?" Raph snarled as he unsheathed his sai. He got ready to jump down and enter the fray, but Lucindra held him back.

"Easy there, Killer," she said. "We have to be smart about this, remember?"

Raph looked at her when she said the nickname. Only one other person had called him that, and he remembered exactly how it happened.

22222

April stormed into the Lair and threw her backpack on the couch. "I can't believe him!" she snarled. "He lied, and I'm the one who's in trouble!"

"What happened, April?" Leo asked her.

"This kid kept making fun of me about my dad," she replied. "He kept saying that my dad dumped me for another woman, and I got so mad that I punched him in the face. But when I told the principal what he said, he lied and said that I hit him for no reason."

"So what did the principal say?" Don asked.

"He believed Brad and not me," she fumed. "I ended up getting detention for two weeks starting tomorrow." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It's just not fair!"

"Maybe I should pay this Brad kid a little visit," Raph offered as he twirled his sai.

"Easy there, Killer," April teased him. "I don't think that would help. He'd probably say it was me in a turtle costume or something. That's how awful he is."

"So, what should we do?" Mikey questioned.

"There's nothing we can do," Leo answered. "April will just have to take her punishment."

"Wait, you're just sayin' we should let the kid get away with it?" Raph asked his brother.

"We can't just go after a kid," Leo replied. "What he said was wrong, but it's not up to us to punish him. Besides, April shouldn't have hit him like that."

"Are you serious?" Raph yelled. "That kid insulted her. She had every right to fight back."

"Raphael, Leonardo is right," Splinter said. "A true ninja only uses physical attacks when they are attacked themselves." He turned to April and looked at her sternly. "You should learn to control your temper and not fight back in a physical manner when you are provoked. Raphael had to learn this lesson, and I believe you should learn it as well. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Sensei," she answered.

"Good," Splinter said. "Now, let us begin our next lesson."

22222

"Hey, Raph, you still with me, buddy?" Lucindra asked, waving her hand in front of Raph's face.

Raph snapped out of his memory. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I just spaced out for a second."

"Well, you'd better get your head in the game," Lucindra replied. "Now, let's go teach these goons a lesson."

Raph nodded, and he followed his friend to take care of business. The fight didn't last long, and during the skirmish, the woman they'd rescued chose to escape. After it was over, Lucindra suggested that they go to her apartment to celebrate. Raph agreed, and the two made their way to Lucindra's apartment.

"I'm so glad I'm on my own now," said Lucindra after she'd gone up to her apartment and had opened the window for Raph. "I wouldn't be able to do this if I still lived with my mom."

"Yeah, I hear you there," Raph replied. "Sometimes I wish I was on my own, too. Maybe if I was, it would be better for me. I love my brothers and dad, but there are times where I just feel so confined down there. If I could live up here, it would be great."

"But you have a good life, Raph," answered Lucindra. "At least you have a family who loves you. I don't have that anymore. My brother was killed by gang members, my dad walked out on us when I was three, and my mom became so absorbed in her drugs and alcohol that she never cared about what I did. So, when I had the chance, I moved out. Luckily I was able to find this apartment that's cheap enough for me. I really hate workin' at a restaurant, but I have to pay the bills somehow."

"I'm not sayin' I don't appreciate my family," Raph told her. "I just wish that there was more for me and for all of us, you know? Don could be a scientist and make money off of those gadgets of his, Mikey could be an artist or even a writer, Leo could teach martial arts to kids who are at risk, and I could probably open a shop that specializes in motorcycles or somethin'. It's just not fair that we have to live our whole lives underground away from the world."

"Yeah, that does suck when you think about it," said Lucindra. "I would hate to have to do that, too. But on the bright side, at least you guys have friends you can count on."

"I know that," replied Raph. He smiled at her, happy that he'd met her. His brothers knew about her, and they'd warned Raph to be careful, but there was nothing bad about Lucindra. She was just a troubled girl who had her fair share of baggage like so many others.

"You want a beer?" asked Lucindra.

"Sure." He knew that technically he wasn't old enough to drink by human standards, but it didn't matter. He would just have one and that would be it. Lucindra handed him a beer, and he pulled the tab and chugged it down. They watched TV and talked more about April and how horrible it was that she'd disappeared. Lucindra had been a classmate of hers and had talked to her a few times. Raph had promised to drink just one beer, but then he drank another and then another, deciding to stop at three beers. Then he decided it was time to go home because he didn't want Leo lecturing to him about staying out too late.

"That sucks you have to go, but I had fun, Raph," Lucindra told him. "Do you think we can hang out again?"

"Yeah, I'll call you and let you know when, Cindra," said Raph. "See you later." He left her apartment and headed home. It had been a good day, and he suddenly felt better about everything. Maybe fighting bad guys and drinking beer wasn't for everyone, but it was the best way Raph knew to combat the depression and the anger. Just as he was nearing home, his cell phone chimed indicating that he had a text message. He sighed in exasperation, figuring it was Leo ready to lecture him about being out late, but when he opened the text, it wasn't from Leo or any of his other brothers.

**Hey, Raph, I hope you had a good time. I wonder what your pet turtle would say about this?—A. **

Raph gasped as he read the text. There were only a few people who knew about Spike, and he knew that his brothers and Lucindra wouldn't text him about that.

"Holy shit," he whispered.

A/N: So, that's the end of that chapter. I'm having so much fun with this story, and I'm glad that I can get the chapters out quicker than I thought I would. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: In Sickness and in Health

A/N: Hey, everyone, sorry for the delay, but my Internet was having issues. Luckily, things have been sorted out, so I thought it would be a good idea to start posting more chapters of Truth and Lies. I want to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story. Your kind words mean the world to me, and I hope you continue to tag along for the ride.

Disclaimer: The TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own Madison and any other characters you don't recognize.

Leonardo sighed as he made his way downstairs. He'd been sick all day, and he was just now starting to feel slightly better. He spotted Raph sitting in a chair reading a comic book, and the TV was silent. Leo thought Raph would take advantage of Leo's absence to watch what he wanted. The blue-clad Turtle yawned and sat on the couch, wrapping himself up in the Space Heroes blanket April had gotten him for Christmas.

"Hey, Leo, you feelin' better?" Raph asked him.

"Yeah, a little," Leo replied. "Mind if I watch TV?"

"Go ahead," answered Raph. "It might make you feel better."

So Leo turned the channel to Space Heroes. His eyes strayed over to the lab where Don was. He had been cooped up in there all day. Of course, it wasn't a secret as to why. They all knew that Don liked April as more than a friend and that Don had been closest with her. Then Leo noticed that Mikey was gone, too. Usually Mikey liked to lighten the mood with his jokes and pranks.

"Where's Mikey?" Leo asked his brother.

"He went to Murakami's to get you some soup," Raph answered. "He should be back soon though."

As if on cue, Mikey came in carrying some bags from Murakami's. Raph took that as his cue to leave. Leo felt sad about that as he was hoping they would all spend some time together. After warning Raph to be careful, he watched his red-clad brother leave the Lair. Mikey was in the kitchen getting Leo a Sprite to drink with his soup. Then Leo noticed that Mikey had forgotten the crackers and reminded his brother about them. The orange-clad Turtle hurried back to the kitchen to get what Leo asked for.

Leo could tell that something was on Mikey's mind. He offered to play video games with his brother after the show was over, but Mikey declined and went upstairs to work on some drawings. Leo sighed in disappointment. Why was this happening to them? Ever since April had disappeared they'd been drifting apart more and more. Leo thought that maybe today would have changed all that, but it didn't.

Some leader he was.

"Do not be discouraged, Leonardo," Splinter soothed as he entered the room and saw Leo's sad expression. "This day is hard for all of us. It is not easy to lose somebody you love. April was a part of this family and such a kind girl. It is hard to believe that she is gone after all of these years."

"I know, Sensei, but I feel like we've all drifted apart because of April's disappearance instead of banding together," said Leo.

"We all deal with loss in different ways, my son," replied Splinter. "Let them grieve. Things will be back to normal in time." He squeezed his son's hand and went to the kitchen for something to eat.

Leo wanted to believe his father's words, but it was hard to think about his brothers getting over this so soon. What if they didn't? How could they be a team and fight crime if the others didn't want to be together anymore?

The blue-clad Turtle wrapped himself tighter in his blanket and ate some of his soup. His thoughts turned to April and how she had helped him when he was feeling horrible about himself. He had wanted to do something for her in return, but he'd never had the chance to do so.

22222

April had just finished her training session with Splinter and was ready to go home as she had homework to do. The Turtles were in the living area doing different things. She smiled as she saw each of them and spotted Leo on the couch.

"Hey, guys, I'm done," she said. "Who gets to take me home this time?"

"It's Leo's turn," Raph replied.

"Great," April said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

The other Turtles said goodbye as Leo walked out with April. He was still feeling bad about the lecture Splinter had given him about being a leader. He'd said that a true leader knew which battles he could win and which ones he couldn't.

"Leo, what's wrong?" April asked him.

Leo sighed. "I'm just not sure I'm fit to be the leader," he said. "I can't lead my brothers the way Splinter wants me to. He keeps lecturing me about what a true leader is and what I should do. I guess he doesn't have faith in me since he keeps lecturing me like I've done something wrong."

April stopped walking and put her hand on Leo's arm. "I don't think that's true," she said. "I think Splinter's just worried about how you got beaten by Shredder. He doesn't want that to happen again, so he's trying to guide you. He understands you're still learning about all of this. For what it's worth, I think you're a great leader, Leo. You just need to believe in yourself more. Hasn't Splinter told you that failure will always happen and that it's how you deal with it that matters?"

"Yeah, but this time I really messed up," Leo replied. "I almost got my brothers killed."

"But you didn't," April insisted. "You saved the city from a mutagen bomb. You didn't know Shredder was going to be there. It wasn't your fault."

Leo didn't answer. It may not have been his fault that Shredder had shown up, but it was his fault that they had fought him without being ready. They had just rushed into the fight without even thinking about it.

"Leo, don't keep beating yourself up over this," April said.

Leo rounded on her. "You don't get it!" he shouted. "Splinter chose me to be the leader, and I failed him! I failed to protect my brothers! That's why Splinter's disappointed in me!"

"I think he's disappointed in himself," April replied.

"What do you mean?" Why would Splinter be disappointed in himself? Leo thought. He wasn't the one who had led anyone into a trap.

"He's disappointed that he hasn't been able to protect you," April explained. "The reason he didn't want you to go up to the surface is because he didn't want you to be exposed to the dangers. He hoped that by keeping you underground, you wouldn't have to face Shredder. Now you have, and Splinter hates himself for not being able to guard you from that. He just takes it out on you as a way of letting his own feelings out. He doesn't think you're a bad leader, Leo. He loves you dearly. He thinks that he's a bad parent."

Leo couldn't believe that April had said these words. She definitely was more astute than he gave her credit for. "You're right, April," he said. "I guess I've just been too hard on myself."

"Yeah, you have," April agreed. "You're a great leader, Leo, and I know that you'll always be there to protect me no matter what."

"Thanks, April," Leo said. He gave her a hug and was happy that he had a friend like her.

22222

But he had failed her, too. He hadn't been able to protect her when she needed it. She had been taken from them and hadn't come back. If he had been there to protect her, she wouldn't have been taken.

"I'm sorry, April," he whispered. "I should have protected you."

Suddenly his T-Phone went off, and he hurried to answer it. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Leo, it's Madison," the voice on the other end said. "I thought we were going to hang out tonight. Is everything okay?"

"Well, I've been sick with the flu all day," Leo replied. "I was going to call you, but I didn't feel well enough to try."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Are you okay now?"

"I'm better, but I'm still a little weak," Leo replied. "Maybe we can hang out in a few days."

"That sounds great," Madison said happily. "Just let me know when you're able to go out. I know today has been hard enough for you because of…you know."

"Yeah, it has, but I've been getting through it," Leo answered. "My brothers are still distant though, and I'm not sure what to do. Sensei says I should just let them grieve in their own way and that they'll snap out of it soon."

"Well, maybe that's best," Madison told him. "You can't really force them to come to terms with it. It's been hard on a lot of us because we knew April, too. Just cheer up. It'll be okay. You know I'm here if you need to talk, right?"

"I know," Leo responded. "Thanks, Maddie."

"No problem. Well, I have to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," Leo replied. "'Bye."

"'Bye," Madison said and hung up.

Leo felt much better after talking to Madison. She was such a great source of comfort. Leo had met her while searching for April when Madison had been attacked by Foot Ninjas. She had been a friend of April's herself and was just as concerned about her as Leo was. Since then, the two of them had become great friends and often spent time together when they were able to.

Leo was about to go into the kitchen to put his bowl in the kitchen sink when his T-Phone went off again. Thinking it was either Madison or Raph, he picked up his phone and saw that he had a new text message. He opened the text and read it, his eyes widening.

**Hey, Leo, still beating yourself up? Don't take it so hard. There was nothing you could have done. And at least you have another friend to comfort you. –A. **

"This can't be happening," he whispered. April was the only one who knew about their conversation. Was she back?

A/N: Dun dun dun! So, now things are falling into place. Is April really back, or is someone else the culprit? You'll have to read on to find out what happens next. I love keeping you guys in suspense. It's so much fun. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: To Tell or Not To Tell

A/N: Hey, sorry for the slight delay. I wanted to get this chapter out quicker, but with the whole Boston bombing fiasco, I thought it would be best to wait and see what came of that. Luckily, the suspect is in custody and can't hurt anyone anymore. My sympathies go out to all those affected by the bombings and my deepest respect goes out to the law enforcement agents who caught him. Good work, you guys.

Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed thus far. You've kept me going, and that's a good thing. And, Guest, I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Here's your update.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story.

The next day, Mikey was still thinking about the text message he had received. Was it from April, or was it someone playing a joke on him? Should he tell his brothers about this? No, they would probably blow him off like they had when he'd told them about the Kraang alien. They would think he was making it up and not pay him any attention. He would just have to keep it to himself for now.

He exited his room and went to the dojo, ready for training. He found Leo seated on the floor and Don was next to him, wearily rubbing his eyes. Then Raph came in rubbing his head. What was up with that? Mikey wondered. Was Raph getting sick, too?

"Good morning, my sons," Splinter greeted them as he exited his room and came toward them. "I hope that all of you are ready for training today."

"Hai, Sensei," the Turtles chorused.

"Good," Splinter acknowledged them. "We will begin with some warm-up stretches to loosen our muscles."

As Mikey joined his brothers in stretching, he noticed that all of them seemed to not be into it. They looked as though they were lost in their own thoughts. After warm-ups, Splinter set them into pairs for sparring since he wasn't going to be teaching them anything new due to Leo's recovery from his illness. Sparring didn't go well for any of them. Mikey was paired with Don, and it seemed like each time Mikey tried to attack, Don forgot to block. Something was definitely up, and he wondered if maybe weird stuff was happening to Don too.

Splinter seemed to be guessing the same thing. "Yame!" he ordered, putting an end to the matches. All four Turtles stopped what they were doing and knelt in front of their Sensei.

"It appears to me that the four of you are not focused," he began. "Something is on your minds, and I would like to know what is keeping you from being focused on your training." He looked at each of them sternly, his eyes resting on Mikey last.

"Well, Sensei, today's our eighteenth Mutation Day," Mikey answered. "April talked about celebrating with us and baking us a cake. I guess we're all just bummed she's gonna miss out anyway."

Splinter's stern look changed to one of sympathy. "Is this true, my sons?" he asked the others.

"Hai, Sensei," the other three replied.

"I see," Splinter mused. "And you are remembering that today was the first day you met April three years ago. Yes, I can see why you would be sad. Perhaps we should postpone training to give you boys some time to recover."

"That would be fine, Sensei," Leo replied. "Thank you." Mikey looked at him in shock. Normally, Leo would insist that they only take a day off of training because he was so into it. Yes, something was definitely up.

"You are welcome," Splinter replied. "Now, run along."

The Turtles rose, bowed to Master Splinter, and left the dojo. Only Mikey stayed there and looked at his father. He thought about telling Splinter about the texts, but he was afraid Splinter wouldn't believe him.

"Michelangelo, do you wish to talk to me?"

"Oh, no, Sensei," said Mikey. "I just wanted to thank you again."

"Do not mention it," responded Splinter. "I can help you with your cake if you would like."

"No, thanks, Sensei, I can do it."

"Very well." Splinter patted his son on the shoulder and left the dojo.

Mikey sighed and went to his room. Why couldn't he come clean about the text messages? He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. Maybe his brothers could help him solve this mystery. Were they getting texts, too? If they were, then maybe someone was targeting them. If April was back it would surely be a big news story, and she would surely get in touch with them right away so as not to worry them. Was someone else sending the text, and if so, what was their motive?

Or maybe it was someone pulling a prank on them. It had happened a few times after April's disappearance where people would say that they had seen her only to reveal that it was a hoax. But how could someone else have Mikey's number? Only his brothers and April had that, and Mikey knew that his brothers would NEVER play a prank on him like that no matter how many times he'd played a prank on them.

Then Mikey figured out a way to find out the truth. How had he never thought of it before? He got out his phone and found the text that had been sent to him. He hit Reply and typed," Is this April?" and hit Send. If it was her, then she would reply back right away.

"Hey, Mikey, could you come down here?" Leo called to him.

"Sure!" Mikey called back. He stuck his phone in his belt and hurried to see what Leo wanted.

"I was still wondering if you wanted to make that cake," Leo said. "I could help you if you like."

Mikey had almost forgotten about the cake he'd wanted to bake with April even though Splinter had just mentioned it. He had thought up all the ingredients and everything. He thought it was nice of Leo to want to help him with it. "Uh, sure, you can help if you want," he replied.

"Thanks, Mikey," Leo said. "I think Raph and Don want to help, too."

And so, they set to work making the cake. They had a lot of fun laughing and joking as they prepared the ingredients. It had been a long time since they'd done anything together except practice and patrol. Mikey was happy, especially when Leo started a fight with the remaining batter that was left over. Afterwards the kitchen was a mess, and Splinter laughed when he saw it, happy that his sons were feeling better though dismayed that they had made a mess of the kitchen. After they cleaned up, Leo and Raph went to get the pizzas for the party while Don and Mikey stored the cake away for later and set the table.

The party was fun, though the Turtles were still thinking about April. They didn't talk about her, but they all knew they were thinking of her this day and what it would have been like if she'd been able to share it with them. Splinter was glad that they were together and having fun at the same time. The pizza was devoured and then Mikey brought out the cake that they had all worked on. They all smiled and waited to be served before they dug in.

Once the cake was finished, they ended the party with a video game tournament which pitted Leo and Raph against Don and Mikey. Splinter observed the games in his chair and smiled to himself as he watched his sons' antics. The tournament ended when Mikey beat Raph and won.

"Well done, Michelangelo," Splinter praised him.

"Thank you, Sensei," Mikey replied.

"Raphael, what do you say to your brother?"

Raph punched Mikey on the shoulder. "Good job, bro," he said. "But that doesn't mean this is over. I'll kick your butt next time."

Mikey laughed. "Nice try, bro," he said. "But that doesn't mean I won't kick your shell again."

"All right, it is time for bed," Splinter told them. "Growing boys need their rest."

The Turtles bowed to Splinter and parted ways to their rooms. Mikey went to his and relived the tournament and how awesome it was. He hoped that maybe they could do this more often instead of going their separate ways all the time.

Still smiling, Mikey sat on his bed and set his T-Phone on the bedside table where he saw there was a new text message. With his heart pounding, he opened the text, hoping that maybe it was his friend.

**That's a good question, Mikey. All will be revealed soon.—A. **

Mikey was confused. What did that mean? Was April saying this because she was in trouble and was afraid to say anything? If that was the case, Mikey was determined to get her out and stop whoever was holding her.

A/N: So, another chapter down. Did you like it? As you can see, the answers haven't been revealed yet, and the mystery continues. So, will A be revealed? Will the other Turtles tell each other about these texts? Keep on reading to find out. And in the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Looking for This?

A/N: Hey, I'm back with another chapter. I'm really having a lot of fun with this story, and I want to thank everyone who's been sticking with me for the ride. Your kind words have been so awesome and have kept me going. Thanks a million. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot to this story and any other characters you don't recognize.

"Okay, there are two possible explanations for this," Don said to himself. "Either April is back and is sending me a message, or someone is impersonating her to lure me into a trap. The best way to find out is to trace where the message came from, which should be easy for me. After all, I'm a genius."

And with that, Don set to work trying to trace where the message had originated, but each time he came up with a dead end. Still, he kept at it, determined to solve this mystery.

He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he was startled by a knock on his door, which caused him to yelp.

"Don, are you okay?" It was Leo.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Leo," Don answered. "What do you want?"

"Sensei wants to talk to you," Leo replied.

"Can't it wait?" Don begged. "I'm in the middle of some very important work."

"I don't think so, Donnie. You know how Sensei is. But if you go now, maybe you'll have time to get back to your project."

Don let out a sigh of resignation. "Okay, I'd better go see him," he said. He saved his work and shut off his laptop. Then he headed to Splinter's room, wondering what his father wanted to see him about. Was he in trouble for something? If so, it was probably something Mikey had done but Mikey had decided to blame Donnie for it instead of owning up to it.

"Come in, Donatello," Splinter said.

"Uh, Leo said you wanted to see me, Sensei?"

"Yes, I do," Splinter replied. "I hope I was not disturbing you."

"Well, I am working on a project, but it can wait," Don responded.

"Good." Splinter stroked his beard as he regarded his purple-banded son. "I've noticed that you have taken to spending a lot of time in that lab of yours. You only come out to use the bathroom, to train, and to patrol. This is not healthy, Donatello. You are shutting yourself away from your brothers and keeping to yourself." He sighed. "I know that April's disappearance has been hard on all of you, but that does not give you the excuse to shut yourself away, my son. I do not mind you spending some time in the lab to work on something, but you should spend time with your brothers outside of just patrol and training. Do I make myself clear?"

"Hai, Sensei," Don said meekly.

"Good. Is there anything you wish to tell me, Donatello?"

Don froze. Maybe this would have been a good opportunity for him to tell Splinter about the message he'd received, but he couldn't do it. He was afraid Splinter would think he was losing his mind, and he didn't want that to happen.

"No, Sensei, there isn't anything," he finally said.

"Very well," Splinter responded. "Now, tell me about this project of yours."

"Well, I'm working on a way to upgrade the trackers on the T-Phones," Don explained.

"Oh, that is interesting. But you did that last month, did you not?"

"No, I was trying to improve the signal last month," Don corrected him.

"Ah, I see. Well then you had better get back to work. You are dismissed."

With a grateful sigh of relief, Don bowed to his father and left Splinter's room. On his way to the lab, he listened in on a very important discussion taking place.

"I'm telling you Glee's so much better than Space Heroes," Mikey was saying. "It's just the coolest show ever. The music is the best part of it."

"Mikey, all of those songs are just covers of other songs," Raph reminded him.

"They've done original songs, too," Mikey insisted. "And you have to admit that their tributes to Britney Spears and Michael Jackson were spectacular. Oh, and don't forget about Madonna. That one's my favorite."

"Yeah, those have been good," Leo replied. "But Space Heroes is all about fighting evil and traveling to different worlds. Glee has never done anything like that."

"Hey, they talked about bullying once," Mikey said defensively. "They always talk about different topics and teach the kids lessons."

"For the record, I think both shows are stupid," Raph chimed in.

"Personally, I think both shows have their good sides," Don interjected, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. "On one hand, you have the exciting plots and battles of Space Heroes, while Glee has amazing musical numbers and different plots each week." Don smiled at both his brothers, hoping that his input would stop the argument.

"You're right, Donnie," Leo said. "They are both great shows. Thanks for your input."

"No problem," Don said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do."

"Wait, what did Splinter want?" Leo asked him.

"Just to make sure I'm okay," Don replied. "No big deal. Can I go now?"

Leo laughed at his brother's impatience. "Yeah, sure, you can go," he said. "Don't work too hard though."

"I won't," Don promised. He hurried to his lab and closed the door. Then he logged onto the Internet to check his e-mail. He had one new message, though the address was just a bunch of letters and numbers. He opened it to see what it was about and almost fell out of his chair as he read it.

"This can't be happening," he whispered as he read the contents of the e-mail.

Dear April,

I've been thinking about how to say this, but I couldn't find the right words, so I thought I'd write to you instead. I can't tell you how lucky I am to have someone like you in my life. Being a mutant turtle, I never thought I would love anyone else apart from my brothers and father. But after meeting you, that changed.

From the first day I met you, I've loved everything about you from your red hair to your determined nature. Even now there are things I love about you. I love the way you purse your lips when you're stuck on a math problem. I love the way you laugh when Mikey tells one of his jokes and the way you concentrate when you're trying to learn a new kata.

And I know this is going to sound crazy coming from a mutant turtle, but I can't keep it from you any longer. I love you, April O'Neil. If you can't return the feeling, I understand. I know there are more guys worthy of your love than I am. However, I just wanted you to know how I really feel about you because I can't hide it any longer.

Don

This was the letter Don had written and given to April. But what shocked him was what was at the bottom of the letter itself.

**Hey, Donnie, looking for this? I thought you might be, so I decided to give it back to you. Kisses! –A. **

A/N: And so it continues. How about that bombshell, huh? As for the battle of Glee vs. Space Heroes, I originally thought of a one shot for that, but I thought it would be funnier if it was in this story instead. Personally, I love Glee, but I think Space Heroes is hilarious and would probably watch it with Leo. Anyway, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Sloppy Lesson

A/N: Hey, I know it's been a little while, but I've had sinus trouble and didn't really feel like typing anything up. I do have a bit of a headache now, but I wanted to get this up anyway since I've left you guys in a lurch. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me. And, Historia, thanks to you as well. Here's your update.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I own the plot and any other characters you may not recognize.

"You know, Spike, a lot of crazy stuff's been happenin' to me lately," Raph told his pet turtle. "April's been missin' for three years, and all of a sudden, I get a text from someone named A. I don't know if it's really her or not, but if it's not, someone's gonna pay. But who else besides my brothers and April knows about you, Spike?"

Spike looked up at Raph and then chomped on his leaf.

"Yeah, I thought about that, too," Raph agreed. "Maybe whoever killed her has access to her diary or something like that. Wait, did she even keep a diary? I don't remember seeing one. Then again, she could have kept it hidden from us so we wouldn't peek. That seems like something she'd do." He tried to imagine April writing in a diary. She would have to make sure that it was hidden so no one would find it. What if she had it on her the day that she disappeared? What if her killer had it and was using it to play with the Turtles?

But the thing that hurt Raph the most was that he couldn't do anything about it. He was helpless, and Raph hated being helpless. He just wished there was something he could do about all of this.

"Raphael, may I speak with you?" Splinter asked.

Raph jumped. He hadn't even heard his father stop by, and sometimes that bothered him. "Sure, Sensei," he answered and followed his father to Splinter's room. Once inside, he sat across from Splinter, wondering what his father wanted to know.

"I noticed you were not focused during practice," Splinter began. "Does it have anything to do with what you did with Miss Monroe?" Something in his tone alerted Raph to the fact that Splinter already knew what was going on and that he wanted confirmation that it had taken place.

"Look, it was no big deal," Raph said. "We were just havin' a good time. I didn't have that many beers anyway."

"Yes, but what if you had been attacked on your way home? In your inebriated state you would not have been able to fight. I have stressed to you the importance of being aware of your surroundings at all times. However, this is harder to do if you have consumed too much alcohol."

"Sensei, I only had three beers!" Raph protested.

Splinter leveled him with a stern look. "It does not matter if you had even one drink," he replied. "What matters is that you were impaired and showed poor judgment."

"Oh, come on, Sensei, you can't tell me you never did that, too," Raph insisted. "You probably had a few beers with Shredder once or twice."

"Enough!" Splinter shouted. His eyes were full of anger, and Raph knew he'd crossed the line. "You are grounded for a month except for when you go on patrol with your brothers. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Sensei," Raph replied softly.

Raph bowed to his father and left, feeling worse than before. He hadn't meant to mention Shredder's name like that, but it had slipped out before he could take it back. Furious with himself, Raph thought about working out his frustrations in the dojo and found Leo there right after he left Splinter's room.

"Hey, Raph, you wanna spar?" Leo asked him.

"No thanks," Raph answered. "Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?"

"Yeah, but I still have some time," replied Leo. "I'm going to Madison's in an hour. There's a Space Heroes marathon we both want to watch. I figure it would make up for not being able to see her when I was sick."

Raph chuckled. "Seriously, I wonder what'll happen when that show ends," he mused. "You'll probably go crazy."

"Well, that's not happening any time soon," answered Leo. He clapped Raph on the shoulder. "See you later, bro."

"Have fun, Leo, but don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That won't be hard," teased Leo.

Raph rolled his green eyes as he watched his brother leave. Then he pulled out his sais and practiced his katas. As he did, he imagined confronting the one who'd made April disappear. It would be so satisfying if he could find that person and make them pay. The thought fueled him to work harder than ever before, and he made a vow that if he ever found out who had taken his friend, he would make sure they didn't live.

When he was done, he took a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead and took a drink of water. He was thinking about taking a shower when his T-Phone went off. Thinking it was Lucindra, he pulled his phone out and saw that he had another text message. He opened it, and his eyes widened.

**Hey, Raph, it sucks to be you right now. I wonder what Splinter would say if he saw this picture?—A. **

Raph opened the attachment and gasped. It was a picture of him and Lucindra in her apartment drinking beer and laughing. How had A gotten this picture? Had someone been spying on them? One thing was for sure, this picture couldn't be shown to Splinter. If he found out, he would be furious. But what if A was planning to reveal the picture to Splinter anyway?

He concluded that if it did happen, there was nothing he could do about it. But he did know that A couldn't be April because she would never do this to him. But what if she'd changed since her disappearance? What if she was different and was willing to blackmail them? No, that couldn't be true. It had to be the person who had taken April, and that thought made him angry. He made a decision that the games were going to end soon.

A/N: A pretty short chapter though I thought it would be longer. So, what did you think? Looks like things aren't ending soon. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Discoveries

A/N: And here's the next chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me. This chapter is going to be exciting for everyone and a bit shocking, too. How? Read on to find out.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I own the plot and nay other characters you don't recognnize.

Leo really loved Madison's apartment. It was so cozy and inviting, especially for a mutant Turtle. The blue-clad Turtle had come here many times before, but he always felt the sense of being welcome each time he came.

"I've got the popcorn," Madison announced as she carried it into the living room. "I'll go get our drinks." She left and returned with two bottles of Coke.

"You're just in time," Leo said. "It's starting." He had an excited look on his face like a child ready to open presents on Christmas morning. He didn't have to look at Madison to know that she had the same look he did.

As the marathon started, Leo and Madison munched on popcorn and recited lines from their favorite episodes. Although Leo loved his brothers dearly, none of them really understood his love of Space Heroes. Mikey watched it with him sometimes, but he usually found other things to do or got confused at certain parts. Raph hated the show, and Don was usually busy in his lab. Even Splinter didn't understand his desire to be like Captain Ryan. When Leo had voiced his desire once, Splinter had said, "You must be a leader on your own, not like someone else."

When a commercial came on, Madison turned to Leo. "Leo, I want to talk to you," she began.

"What is it?" Leo asked his tone full of concern.

"Well, we've known each other for three years now," Madison replied. "I was thinking it's time we take things to a new level."

Leo looked confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked her.

"I'm talking about being more than just friends," she replied. "I really like you, Leo. You understand me more than any other guy I know. And I know you really care about me, too."

"Wait, are you saying we should be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Madison nodded. "Yeah, I am. What do you think?"

Leo couldn't believe what Madison was proposing. He wasn't ready for anything like that. "Look, Maddie, I like you a lot," he began. "You've been a great friend to me, and I'll always be grateful that you were there for me when I needed you. But what you're asking me now is something I'm not ready for right now. I do like you, but not in that way just yet. I have to be careful about this because I'm a ninja. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Leo, I understand if you don't feel that way, but I won't get hurt because of you," Madison replied. "I always feel safe with you."

"It could still be risky," Leo said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Madison demanded.

"I'm the reason April vanished!" Leo shouted. "I wanted to walk her home, but she told me she'd be fine, so I let her go. If I had gone with her, she'd still be here."

Madison put a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Leo," she said. "Even if you had gone with her, this still could have happened. You can't always predict the outcome of things."

"That's what Splinter said after it happened," Leo told her.

"So what's the point of beating yourself up over it?" Madison asked him.

Leo looked at her, and the answer hit him. "It's because I'm scared," he whispered. "I'm scared of losing my brothers and my father the way we lost April. That's why I've been training so hard. I've been trying to prevent this from happening again. And because of that, I haven't been able to keep my brothers together. I've been a horrible brother and a terrible leader."

'No, you haven't," Madison contradicted. "You've just needed to grieve, and it's been hard for you to do that because there hasn't been any closure. If you knew for sure that April was dead, you would have your time to mourn and then move on. But since you don't know, you're confused about how to deal with it, so you decided to deal with it in your own way."

Leo processed this and knew that Madison was right. There hadn't been any closure, and it had been hard for them to deal with that. "Thank you, Maddie," he whispered.

"You're welcome, Leo," she whispered back. "I'll be right back."

Leo nodded and watched her leave. He was so lucky to have someone like her in his life at the moment. Suddenly, his phone went off, and he saw that he had a text message.

**Poor Leo, I hope you don't get crushed by the weight of your baggage.—A. **

Leo gritted his teeth in anger. He was getting fed up with A and what A was saying to him Then again, this was another problem he was facing. He didn't know if this was April or not and it was taking a toll on him. He really wanted to know who it was as soon as possible. He closed his phone and put it away when Madison came back.

After the marathon was over, Leo said goodnight to Madison and promised to visit again soon. As he leapt over the rooftops, he decided it was time to talk to his brothers and to try and bring them back together. This had gone on for too long and needed to be stopped. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard sirens coming down the street. Most of the time, he ignored the sirens as it meant that people were in trouble and the humans could handle it, but this time, something didn't feel right. Leo followed the sounds of the sirens until they stopped at a construction site for a new office building. The blue-clad Turtle watched as the officers got out and made their way to a large hole that was supposed to be the site of the building. They began putting crime scene tape around it.

Another car pulled up, and Leo gasped as he saw Kirby O'Neil get out. He ran to the policemen, looking very worried.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked them.

"Yes, Mr. O'Neil," one of them replied. "A worker was digging when they discovered a body. We think it may be your missing daughter."

"April?" Mr. O'Neil gasped. "How can you tell?"

"We'll do DNA tests to be sure, but there is sound evidence that this is April's body," the officer responded.

Leo didn't hear the rest of the conversation. He turned and headed for home as fast as he could. He vaulted over the turnstiles and saw Mikey and Raph watching a monster movie.

"Guys, turn on the news," he ordered. "They've found April."

Mikey's blue eyes lit up. "I knew it!" he cried. "We have to go see her."

"We can't do that, Mikey," Leo replied.

"Can't do what?" Donnie asked as he came out of his lab.

"We can't go see April," Leo answered.

"Wait, April's back?" Don gasped. "Did she call you?"

"No, she didn't," Leo answered.

"Then why can't we go see her?" Raph demanded.

Leo fixed his dark blue eyes on each of his brothers. He knew it was going to be hard to tell them the truth, but he had to.

"What is going on?" Splinter inquired before he could say anything.

"Sensei, they just found April's body," Leo replied.

A/N: Whoa. How's that for a bombshell? So, now that the mystery of April's whereabouts has been solved, what's next for the Turtles? Will the texts from A stop for good? Will the Turtles finally get closure now that they know their friend's fate? Will they seek revenge on whoever did this? Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: It's Not Over

A/N: Hey, I know I normally update on Fridays, but I decided to update again today because I felt like it. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed. It means a lot to me. Historia and WCGirl, thanks so much for the kind words. Here's the update you wanted. Buckle up, guys, it's going to be a wild ride.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

The Turtles and Splinter stared at Leo as they processed his words. Finally, Raph spoke up.

"Her body?" he repeated. "You mean she's dead?"

"Yes," Leo said softly and recounted what he'd heard on his way home from Madison's.

"Wait, Kirby was there?" Don interjected. "Why didn't he call us?"

"He was probably contacted by the police to come back," Leo answered.

"Or he was here on business and got the news when he came home," Don added.

"Shhh, let's listen to this!" said Mikey as he turned up the volume.

"Workers were starting to break ground for a new office building when they discovered the body," reported Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe. "We don't know how Miss O'Neil's body came to be in that hole, but police are conducting a full investigation. Joining me right now is Miss O'Neil's father, Kirby O'Neil. Mr. O'Neil, I know that this has come as a shock to you, but I want to know your thoughts on what the workers discovered."

"Well, Carlos, I'm very devastated that the case has come to this conclusion," Kirby replied. "I wish April could be here with me right now. But at least there is closure in her fate, and I no longer have to wonder about what happened to her. My biggest hope is that we will find the one who did this to April and bring them to justice. There will be a memorial service tomorrow to honor April's memory, and it will be open to the public."

"When will the funeral take place?" Carlos asked.

"Once the police have finished examining her body to determine what the cause of death is, we will arrange for a funeral," Kirby answered.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. O'Neil," Carlos said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time."

"Thank you, Carlos," replied Kirby.

"For Channel Six News, this is Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe. Back to you in the studio."

The report switched to something else, but the Turtles weren't paying any attention. They were still reeling from the news that April was dead. Her father looked so different than he'd been three years ago. His red hair had some gray in it, and his face looked a little more lined.

"How do you think she died?" whispered Mikey. "Do you think she was killed first and put in the hole, or do you think she was pushed in there and buried?"

"I don't know," answered Leo. He didn't really want to think about how it happened. It was hard enough to comprehend that April was truly gone and wasn't coming back.

"We need to find the scumbag who did this and make them pay!" snarled Raph.

"But we don't know who killed her," pointed out Don.

"Well, you're supposed to be the genius," retorted Raph. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet."

"Raph, cool it," commanded Leo. "You shouldn't be blaming Donnie for this."

"You're right, Leo, maybe we should be blaming you," countered Raph. "If you had taken April home, this never would have happened."

Rage filled Leo at Raph's words, and he lunged at his brother, but Splinter struck before Leo could, and he pinned the blue-clad Turtle to the floor.

"Enough!" Splinter shouted.

Leo continued to struggle with no success. It was one thing for Leo to blame himself for April's disappearance, but for Raph to do it was a different matter.

"Leonardo, calm yourself," Splinter commanded him.

"I won't!" Leo yelled back, struggling to break free. "How dare he blame me?"

"Donatello, I need your help," Splinter said to his purple-clad son.

Donnie nodded and hurried off to his lab. He returned with a syringe and managed to inject it into his brother's right arm. This made Leo angrier, but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Soon the blue-clad Turtle began to feel the effects of the sedative and succumbed. Splinter waited until he was sure Leo was out before letting his son go.

"It is time for bed," he told his sons. "We have had a hard day. Tomorrow we will discuss this matter further, but for now you should all get some rest. Raphael, take your brother to his room."

"Hai, Sensei," Raph replied. He gently picked Leo up and carried him to his room. He felt guilty about what he'd said and promised to apologize to his brother in the morning. He laid Leo gently in the bed and tucked the covers around him.

"Sleep tight, bro," he whispered before he departed to his own room and settled down to sleep.

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Before he went to bed, Splinter checked on his sons as they slept. He knew that all of them were suffering over April's death, and he was sad that they had to deal with something they'd never really understood before. Yes, they had witnessed death and had killed others when necessary, but they had never suffered the loss of a friend. It was going to be hard for them to deal with, and Splinter knew he would have to help them through it. But at least they had some semblance of closure with what happened to her. For three years they had agonized over whether April was alive or dead. Michelangelo kept holding out hope that she was still alive, Donatello kept searching for answers as to what happened and where she could be, Raphael longed to bring the one who did this to justice, and Leonardo continued to place the blame on himself.

The Sensei sighed as he thought about his oldest son. It wasn't fair that he was carrying this burden on his own. His reaction to Raphael's remark confirmed that. He needed to speak to his son, but he was afraid that Leonardo would push him away. Deciding he would worry about the matter tomorrow, he lay down and closed his eyes, wishing that all of this hadn't happened.

22222

The next morning, the Turtles woke up and arrived at the dojo for morning training. Even though April's memorial service was that day, they knew it was still essential that they practice. As they entered, Splinter intercepted them at the entrance.

"There will be no training today, my sons," he said. "We should use this day to mourn and to reflect."

The Turtles nodded and went to the kitchen where Mikey announced he was going to make chocolate chip pancakes. They remembered that April had liked chocolate chip pancakes. Leo tried to sit down with his brothers, but he was very restless and finally got up to go to the dojo.

"Leo, there's no training today," Don reminded him.

Leo ignored him and went to the dojo anyway. He bowed and walked to the middle of the dojo. He started with some warm up katas and then unsheathed his swords and began to practice. He imagined that April's killer was in front of him, and his movements became more aggressive as he challenged his foe. He became frenzied as his imaginary opponent evaded his strikes. His opponent taunted him, telling him that it was his fault April had died. This caused Leo to press his attack until he was exhausted and crashed to the floor.

"Leo!" a voice cried, and he felt someone kneel next to him and touch his shoulder.

The blue-clad Turtle blinked and looked into Raph's green eyes. He began to sob, causing Raph to pull him into an embrace. Raph rubbed his brother's shell and whispered soothing words until Leo's sobs ceased. Then he led Leo back into the kitchen where Don was talking about an e-mail Kirby had sent him.

"He says he wants us to come to his apartment tonight," Don was saying. "He wants to speak to us about something."

"What do you think it is?" Mikey asked as he carried another plate of pancakes to the table.

"Maybe he wants to see if we have any leads on the killer," mused Raph.

Splinter was looking at Leo, his eyes full of concern. "Are you all right, Leonardo?" he asked.

Leo nodded. "I'm fine, Sensei," he replied.

The meal progressed in silence for a while until Mikey began laughing. The others stared at him warily until he blurted out, "Remember when we had that food fight?"

"You mean the one with the cookie dough?" Don asked him.

"I remember that," said Leo. "April wanted to show us how to bake cookies."

"Yeah, and she began teaching us how to do it until Mikey had the idea to have a cookie dough fight," remembered Raph.

"Hey, I thought it would be fun!" protested Mikey.

"Yes, but it was very messy as well," Splinter chimed in.

The rest of breakfast was spent remembering the good times with April. They talked about how much fun they had with her ad how she seemed to brighten their day when she was around.

When breakfast was over, they all gathered in the living room to watch coverage of the memorial. Thought the service itself wasn't televised, there was still plenty of media coverage outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

"Look at all of the people," Mikey commented. "They all must have liked April."

"Yeah, I guess so," Don mused. "I wish we could be there."

"We are there in spirit," Leo told him. "And I'm sure April knows we're thinking about her."

"How would she know that? She's dead," Raph grumbled.

"Hey, look, there's Kirby!" Mikey shouted as he pointed at the screen. "He's with two people I don't know." He watched as Kirby walked to the church with a woman and another girl. Then Mikey gasped. "Hey, guys, check out that girl. She looks like April!"

Don squinted. "Yeah, she does," he said. "Maybe she's a cousin."

"But we would have seen her," Mikey protested. "April was staying with her aunt, remember?"

"Yeah, but maybe her cousin wasn't living there," Leo pointed out.

Before anyone else could say anything, Don's T-Phone indicated that he had a text. The others looked at him, and then their phones also went off. The Turtles pulled out their phones and looked at the text message.

"Oh no," Don said.

"It can't be," Mikey added.

"No way," Leo chimed in.

"You've got to be kidding me," Raph said.

In unison, the Turtles read the text message, hardly daring to believe that it was real.

**I'm still here, freaks, and I know everything.—A. **

A/N: And so, the story continues. Looks like A isn't really gone for good. So, who could be sending them these texts? What's up with the girl who looks like April? Is she a relative, or someone else from April's past? All will be revealed soon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: April's Secret

A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay. I wasn't feeling well yesterday, but I'm better today and decided to get this chapter up. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. Your encouraging words have been great and have allowed me to continue with this story. Historia, I'm glad you're on the edge of your seat. Here's more. Buckle up, guys. This is about to get good.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I own the plot and any other characters not associated with TMNT

Splinter paced in front of his sons, his tail lashing in his anger. "So, not only did you receive messages from this A, but you failed to tell me about it," he said, phrasing it as a fact, not a question.

"Hai, Sensei," the Turtles said meekly.

"And your reason for doing this was what?"

"We thought it was April sending us the messages," Mikey replied. "We thought that maybe she was back."

"And how did you come to this conclusion?" Splinter asked.

"There were things in the messages that only she knew about us," Leo answered.

"I see. And did it occur to any of you that if April had indeed returned that she would have made it a point to come to the Lair and tell us?"

Don hung his head. "No, Sensei," he said. Now that he put it like that, it seemed so obvious to them. But they had all taken it for granted that April was sending them the texts.

"I am very disappointed in all of you," Splinter declared. "We are a family, and as a family we should share information with each other. I should ground you four from going topside tonight, but since Kirby requested to see you, I am allowing you to go and see what he wants. Your punishment will start tomorrow instead, and you will be grounded for four weeks. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Sensei," replied the Turtles.

"Good," said Splinter. "Then go to your rooms until it is time for lunch. We will discuss this matter later."

The Turtles bowed to him and left for their rooms. All of them felt horrible for what had happened, and they all wished they had handled things differently. They hated that Splinter was disappointed in them, and they all hoped that it would pass soon. The rest of the day was spent contemplating what Kirby wanted to talk to them about. The Turtles had the idea of IMing one another since they couldn't talk in the same room.

**Mikey: So, what do you think Kirby wants to talk to us about?**

**Don: Maybe April left something for us in her will. **

**Raph: What's a will? **

**Don: It's a document that the deceased writes before their death which dictates what items the deceased would like to leave with certain people. **

**Leo: Okay, like what?**

**Mikey: Maybe she left us cash. I can see her doing that. **

**Raph: But how could she have money? She was only sixteen. **

**Don: Maybe Kirby set up a trust for her, and she arranged for us to get it if anything happened to her.**

**Leo: Or maybe he's found a lead about what happened to her. **

**Raph: But if that was true, wouldn't he have just told Don over the phone? **

**Don: Maybe he didn't want anyone to overhear him. **

**Raph: That's stupid. **

**Don: No, it's not. It's entirely logical. **

**Leo: Stop it, you guys. We'll worry about this tonight. **

The others agreed, and the conversation ended there because they didn't want Splinter to catch them talking to each other when they were supposed to be thinking about what they did. Splinter called them to lunch, which they ate obediently. They didn't talk about the texts, and Splinter didn't bring it up again, much to their relief. The rest of the day was spent doing as they pleased in their rooms until it was time to meet with Kirby.

Splinter wished them luck as they left the Lair, and Leo promised that they would tell him everything once they returned home. All of them were curious as to what Kirby had to tell them. Had April really left them something, or had she passed on a message to her father to relay to them after her death?

They arrived at the apartment Kirby had told them to meet him at, and they noticed it wasn't April's aunt's place. It had to be the apartment that Kirby and April had lived in before Kirby had been kidnapped by the Kraang. After Kirby left, no one had lived in the apartment for very long, and Kirby had probably been able to rent it again. They saw lights on and went up the fire escape as Kirby had instructed. Leo knocked on the window and waited until Kirby came to let them in.

"You made it!" he exclaimed. "Please come in."

As soon as they were all inside, Leo asked, "Mr. O'Neil, what's this about?"

"Did April leave us anything in her will?" Mikey asked.

"No, she didn't," Kirby answered. "But there was something she never told you, and it's time you knew the truth." He led them further into a hallway and stopped at the second door on the right. "Honey, they're here," he called.

The Turtles heard footsteps and braced themselves in anticipation. The door opened and revealed someone they had seen before.

"You're the girl we saw on TV!" Mikey gasped. "You look just like April!"

"Boys, this is Robyn O'Neil, April's twin sister,' Kirby said. "Robyn, these are the Turtles who saved April and me."

Robyn smiled at them. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said.

"What do you mean by finally?" Don asked her.

"April's told me so much about you," Robyn replied. "She didn't say you were mutants though. Dad was the one who told me about all of that. All April told me was that you guys were all brothers and that you were her friends. I can't thank you enough for what you did for her and for Dad."

"It was our pleasure," Leo told her. "We couldn't let your dad get hurt, or April for that matter."

"Why didn't April tell us about you?" Mikey asked, a hurt look crossing his face. "I thought she was our friend!"

"She was, Mikey," Robyn reassured him. "April wanted to tell you guys about me, but Dad told her not to. It's kind of like how you told her not to tell anyone about you guys."

"That makes sense," Don replied. "But where were you all this time? We've been to April's aunt's house and never saw you."

Robyn sighed. "That's because I was in an institution," she responded. "It all started after Mom died in a car crash. I became very depressed after that and tried to commit suicide. Dad had me committed so I wouldn't do it again. I was there for a long time and received help for my problem. April wrote me letters and visited me sometimes. That's how I found out about Dad's kidnapping and you guys, though she didn't tell me everything such as that you guys were mutant turtles or who Dad had been kidnapped by. April and I were really close, and I wanted to come home to be with her because I knew she was scared about Dad, but I couldn't. When I was finally released, April had disappeared. Dad was afraid I would relapse again, so he told me about you guys and promised I would see you soon. So, that's it."

"Man, that had to be hard for you to be locked up all the time," Mikey commented.

"Yeah, it was hard and lonely at times," Robyn replied. "But I kept reminding myself that I was there to get better. Of course, April helped me through it with her letters and visits. She always told me to just hang in there and that I would be out soon. I listened to her because I was determined to get out and be with her, but when I did, she was gone."

"So, are you back for good?" asked Leo.

"As long as I take my meds and don't relapse, then, yeah, I'm back for good," replied Robyn. "So, what do you guys do for fun?"

"Well, Friday is movie night," answered Mikey. "Maybe you should come. It'll give you a chance to meet our dad."

"Is he a turtle too?"

"No, he's actually a giant rat," answered Leo.

Robyn was surprised by his words. "Oh, I see," she said. "Do you think he'll like me?"

Mikey smiled and put an arm around her. "He'll love you," he reassured her. "You're April's sisters, so you'll kind of be like a second daughter to him. Maybe he could teach you ninjitsu like he did with April."

"Slow down, Mikey, we have to clear it with Sensei first," Leo reminded him. "We haven't even told him about Robyn yet."

"But once we do, I'll text you and let you know what he says," Don offered.

"That's fine with me," Robyn replied. She pulled out her phone and gave each of the Turtles her number so she could contact them whenever she wanted to and vice versa.

Leo looked at the clock on his T-Phone. "We'd better get home before Sensei worries about us," he said.

"But you guys just got here!" Robyn protested. "Why can't you just call him?"

"Because we didn't give him a T-Phone," Don replied. "I guess I'll have to remedy that."

"Do we have to go now?" Mikey pouted.

"Yes, we do, Mikey," Leo told him.

"Oh, give it a rest," Raph grumbled. "You'll see her tomorrow if it's okay with Sensei. Now, let's get outta here before Sensei makes us do extra trainin'."

"Well, it was nice meeting you guys," said Robyn.

"Likewise, Robyn," replied Leo. "We'll let you know what Sensei says. See you later."

The others waved and followed Leo to the rooftops. As they ran, Leo could tell that something was up with Raph since he hadn't spoken the whole time they had been talking to Robyn, except when he'd chastised Mikey. He decided to talk to Raph after he reported to Splinter and told him about Robyn.

When they arrived at the Lair, they found Splinter waiting for them in the living area. Leo began to tell him everything about Robyn, and Splinter listened to the story until Leo was done.

"So, is it okay if she comes here?" Leo asked him.

"Yes, I suppose it would be fine if she comes over," Splinter replied. Raph rolled his eyes, and Splinter turned to him. "You do not like that idea, my son?"

"I don't trust her," Raph responded.

"Why not?"Mikey asked.

"Because, in case you haven't forgotten, Robyn was in a nuthouse," Raph reminded him. "Only crazy people go there."

"She's not crazy!" Don protested. "She was suffering from depression because her mother died."

"And what kind of normal person tries to commit suicide?" Raph retorted.

"It's not about being crazy," Leo replied. "She just couldn't handle her mother's death, but she got help for that. I think she just wants a normal life now, Raph."

"Yeah, and we shouldn't treat her like she's nuts," Mikey added.

"Your brothers are right, Raphael," Splinter told him. "We cannot hold the past against her. She will come here, and we will all treat her with respect. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Sensei," Raph answered. He still wasn't happy about Splinter's decision, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. So he decided he would give her a chance and see if he could trust her or not.

22222

"So, do you really think your dad will like me?" Robyn asked as she followed Donnie through the sewers.

Don was one happy Turtle at the moment. If he closed his eyes, he could just imagine that April was with him again. He knew Splinter would like her a lot, and maybe things could go back to the way they used to be before April vanished. It was definitely something Don had wished for. He had wished and wished for April to come back, and he sort of felt that his wish had come true. Sure, Robyn wasn't April, but she was the next best thing.

"Donnie, are you with me?" teased Robyn as she waved her hand in front of Don's face.

Don snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry, Robyn, I spaced out," he apologized. "What did you say?"

Robyn sighed in frustration. "I asked you if your dad would like me," she replied, her tone implying that she was annoyed with him.

"I'm sure he will," Don reassured her. "After all, you're April's sister. What's not to like? Well, here we are."

Robyn gasped as Don led her to the entrance to the Lair. "Wow! This is an awesome place!" she exclaimed. "Who knew the sewers could supply real estate?"

Don smiled as he gestured to the living area where his brothers and Splinter were waiting for them. "Robyn, this is Master Splinter, our father and sensei. Sensei, this is Robyn O'Neil, April's twin sister."

Splinter walked over to Robyn and bowed to her. "It is very nice to meet you, Robyn," he said. "Your sister was great friend to my sons and a great student. She was family to us and was like a second daughter to me. Her disappearance and death affected my sons, but it also affected me as well. I know this has affected you deeply, and I feel your pain. I, too, have suffered the loss of my wife and daughter. Although I had my sons, I still missed my daughter, but when April came into our lives, I began to regard her as a second daughter. I never wanted her to replace Miwa, but she began to fill the hole that was in my heart. That hole burst open again when April vanished.

I am not asking you to take April's place as no one and nothing can do that. All I ask of you is to not reveal our secret to the world above for they would not understand us and our appearance. Can you do this?"

Robyn nodded. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you," she said. "When anyone at the institution asked me about April's friends, I only said that you were brothers. Even if I had known your true identity, I never would have revealed it. You can count on me. Besides, I don't ever want to go back there, and if I said anything, they'd send me back." Her tone turned bitter and her blue eyes darkened as she spoke.

Splinter looked at her sympathetically. He could tell that speaking about the institution caused her pain, and she must have had a hard time there. "Good," he said. "Then there is nothing more to say on the matter. I was teaching April to be a kunoichi, a female ninja. She was a good student and very fast learner. Did she ever discuss that with you?"

"Yeah, she said she was being trained," Robyn answered. "She offered to teach me once I got out, but I told her I wasn't interested. I've never been the athletic type."

"Aww, why don't you try it?" Mikey begged. "I think you'd be awesome at it."

"Michelangelo, if Robyn does not wish to learn, that is her decision," Splinter told him. "And now, I believe my sons have something to discuss with you." When the Turtles looked at him in confusion, he prompted, "The texts?"

"What texts?" asked Robyn.

"We've been getting texts and other messages from someone known as A," replied Leo. "At first, we thought it was April, but after her body was found, we knew it wasn't her."

"So, you're saying someone's impersonating her?" Robyn asked him.

"Yeah, we think so," said Don.

"And it's really weird," added Mikey. "They keep talking about stuff only April knew about us."

"Like what?" pursued Robyn.

"None of your business," growled Raph.

"Raphael, that is no way to talk to Robyn," chastised Splinter.

"She's a stranger, Sensei, and I don't trust her with anything," replied Raph.

"Chill out, Raph," Robyn told him. "I'm not going to give away your secrets or anything. Why won't you trust me?"

"Because you were in a nuthouse," Raph responded.

Instead of being offended by Raph's remark, Robyn smiled. "Exactly, which means I know how crazy people think. The person who's doing this wants to get inside your head. Can you think of anyone who's crazy enough to do this?"

"We looked into all of our enemies when April went missing," Leo told her. "We thought that maybe they took her as a means of revenge, but none of them did."

"Maybe it's someone working for your enemies," mused Robyn. "Donnie, have you tried to trace the origin of the messages?"

Don nodded. "I couldn't find anything though, and whoever's doing this is making sure they aren't detected."

"Do you think it could be one of April's classmates?"

Leo shook his head. "April never talked about us in school."

Just then, a chime came from Robyn's cell phone. "That's probably Dad," she said pulling it out and opening up her text inbox. Then she gasped. "Guys, you have to see this."

The Turtles hurried to her side and peered over her shoulder to see the text.

"Whoa!" Leo gasped.

"This can't be!" Don added.

"Too weird," Mikey chimed in.

"Looks like we're not the only ones now," Raph speculated.

**Hey, Robyn, how's life outside of the nuthouse? Enjoy it while you can.—A. **

A/N: Wow! I can't believe this is thirteen pages long! I never expected it to be that long. So, now Robyn's in the picture and is being tortured by A. Now, only time will tell as to who this person is and how they know Robyn is there. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic holiday weekend.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Matchmaker

A/N: Hey, guys, sorry for the delay last week. We were supposed to get storms, and I didn't want to risk typing this out and then having to unplug my computer when the storms got here. So, here it is now for all of you. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far. Your encouragement has meant the world to me. Oh, and CowabungaBooyakasha, you might want to enable your Private Messaging feature so I can reply to you the way I do to everyone else. Just go to your main page when you log on and go down to where there's a list of options. One of them is to enable the Private Messaging feature. Click Yes and then click Save Changes, and then you'll be able to receive PMs. So without any further delay, here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: TMNT are owned by Nickelodeon. If I owned them, I wouldn't be unemployed right now.

"Mikey, where are you?" Robyn asked as she looked around her. The streets were deserted, and she wasn't even sure why Mikey was doing the ninja thing.

"Right here, Rob," Mikey replied as he peered out from behind a building.

"Mikey, the streets are deserted," she pointed out. "There's no need for the ninja stuff."

"Hey, you never know when an enemy is going to strike," Mikey said wisely. "Sensei taught us to always be one with the shadows."

"Then why are you taking me to a noodle shop where the owner will probably freak out when he sees you?"

Mikey laughed. "Murakami already knows about us," he answered. "We saved his life from the Purple Dragons. Also, he's blind."

"If he's blind, then how did he find out you were mutant turtles?"

Mikey laughed again. "He does use his other senses, Rob," he responded in a "well duh" voice. "Come on. He's waiting for us."

When they arrived at Murakami's noodle shop, they were relieved to see that there were on other customers there. Mikey led her over to the counter and urged her to sit. Not long after that, Murakami came out.

"Hey, Murakami-san, how's it going?"

"I am fine, Michelangelo-san," Murakami replied. "And how are you?"

"Great," Mikey answered. "I brought a friend with me. Murakami-san, meet Robyn O'Neil, April's twin sister. Robyn, this is Murakami-san. He gives us some awesome discounts and tips on how to make food."

"Nice to meet you," Robyn said as she shook Murakami's hand.

"Likewise, Robyn-chan," Murakami answered. "I have someone for you to meet as well." He turned to the kitchen and called, "Oyuki, would you come out?"

A Japanese woman came out with a look of curiosity on her face, which turned to surprise when she saw Mikey and Robyn. She wore jeans and a shirt with cherry blossoms on it, and she had long black hair that was down to her shoulders.

Murakami smiled and said, "Oyuki, I would like to introduce you to Hamato Michelangelo and Robyn O'Neil. Michelangelo, Robyn, this is my niece Oyuki Mamisha."

"It is nice to meet you," Oyuki said, giving them a bow.

Mikey was speechless. He had never seen anyone as beautiful as Oyuki was except for maybe April and Karai. He probably would have continued to stare at her until Robyn nudged him.

"Mikey, she said hello," she whispered.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he said. "Nice to meet you, Oyuki. Why do you have a different name than Murakami-san? I thought you guys were related."

Oyuki laughed. "We are," she replied. "He is my uncle, which means my mother is his sister."

"Oh," Mikey said, but he still had a confused expression on his face.

"That means her mother married and changed her last name to Mamisha," Robyn explained.

"Wait, women have to change their names when they get married?"

"Just their last name," Robyn answered. "Didn't April tell you about that?"

Mikey shook his head. "No, it never came up."

"You must be hungry," Murakami said, changing the subject. "I will have some pizza gyoza made for you. What would you like, Robyn?"

"I'll have the miso soup," Robyn answered.

"Very good," Murakami replied. "Oyuki, would you get Robyn her miso soup?"

"Yes, Uncle," Oyuki replied. She bowed to him and went to the back to make it.

Robyn snickered and nudged Mikey. "I think she likes you," she whispered.

"She doesn't even know me," answered Mikey.

"So? I can still tell by the way she looks at you. You should ask her out."

Mikey turned pale. "I can't do that!" he gasped. "I barely know her. And, in case you forgot, I'm not a human. It just wouldn't work out."

"How do you know? You haven't even tried yet."

"Because no human would love a freak like me," said Mikey bitterly.

"April loved Donnie," Robyn pointed out.

"They were just friends, and Don just had a crush on her. She didn't feel the same way."

"But they kissed," Robyn told him. "She definitely liked him back, or she wouldn't have kissed him."

"Wait, April and Donnie kissed?"

Robyn nodded. "It happened when he went to help her with her homework. April was surprised by it at first, but then she realized how she really felt about him. She was going to tell him how she felt after he wrote her a letter, but she never got to, obviously. I'm not saying you have to fall in love right away, Mikey. I'm just saying that you should get the chance to get to know her better. You never know if the chance will pass you by."

Mikey nodded. "You're right, Robyn," he said. "I should get to know her better."

Oyuki came back with their orders and set them down in front of them. "Here you go," she said. "Enjoy your meal."

"Hey, Oyuki, would you like to hang out with me?" Mikey asked her. "I want to get to know you better."

Oyuki smiled at him. "I would like that," she replied.

Mikey was shocked by her response. "Wait, you would?"

She nodded. "Yes, I want to know more about your life and who you are."

Mikey's face lit up. 'That's so awesome!" he cried. "How does next week sound?"

"That sounds fine," Oyuki responded. "I will see you then. Please excuse me, I have to clean up."

After she left, Mikey turned to Robyn, his blue eyes filled with glee. "Did you hear that, Rob? She wants to hang out with me!"

Robyn smiled. "I told you it would work," she bragged. "I'm so happy for you, Mikey."

"Thanks, Rob," Mikey said with a smile.

"You're welcome."

When it was time to leave, Oyuki and Mr. Murakami said goodbye and that they'd see them again soon. Mikey asked Oyuki why she hadn't freaked out at the sight of him, and Oyuki answered, "Because Uncle already told me about you."

"Well, that's cool," Mikey said. "See you next week, Oyuki."

Robyn smiled at Mikey as they made their way to Robyn's apartment. "Good job, Mikey," she said. "You really nailed it."

"Of course I did," answered Mikey. "The Mikester is always on his A game."

"Speaking of A, have you gotten anymore texts?"

Mikey shook his head. "Nada. Have you?"

"Nope. Maybe it was just a prank. Donnie wants me to come over to see if we can trace where the messages are coming from."

"Donnie couldn't trace the others," Mikey pointed out.

"Well, maybe we can crack the case together," said Robyn. "Oh, and Mikey, please don't ask Don about the kiss. When he wants to tell you, he will."

"Oh, I won't," Mikey promised. Normally, he would have used this information as blackmail, but since April wasn't alive anymore, it wasn't the sort of thing to joke about. Still, it hurt that Donnie hadn't told any of them about it. Was he ashamed of what he'd done, or was he afraid that his brothers would tease him about it?

After Mikey took Robyn home, he went back to the Lair, filled with sadness for his brother and April. Now he understood why Don had been so determined to find her. He hadn't just had a crush on April. He had loved her dearly and had been devastated when she disappeared. And now that she was dead, it was harder for Don to accept that he would never see her again.

He snapped out of his thoughts when his phone chimed, indicating that he had a new text message. He pulled it out and growled as he saw the array of garbled numbers and letters.

**Hey, Mikey, did you have fun with your new BFF? You better hope she doesn't disappear like her sister.—A. **

A/N: For those who wished that Mikey would have a female friend, I did this chapter just for you. What did you think? As you know, A isn't giving up that easily and won't be going away any time soon. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Dream Come True

A/N: Hey, sorry for the delay, but the weather's been so crazy here, and my sinuses have been acting up because of it. However, today I decided to post this chapter up since I've been keeping you guys waiting. I really hope you aren't mad at me for this. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed this story so far. It really means a lot to me. And now to address some things my anonymous reviewers have brought up.

Guest: No, this isn't exactly like PLL because that's impossible to do. There are certain situations I can't use because it wouldn't fit within the Turtles' world. So, I've just taken certain scenarios and have added my own spin to them. Thanks for reading.

14rosie14: Ooh, close. I'm not trying to pin each Turtle with a specific girl, but if I were to do that it would go this way: Mikey as Aria, Donnie as Emily, Raph as Hanna, and Leo as Spencer. I see Raph more as Hanna because she's reckless in the series, and Raph is also reckless at times. Leo is Spencer because she's a perfectionist and always wants to please people just like Leo always wants to please Splinter and do the right thing. Sure, Spencer is smart, but she's also a perfectionist, and I see this Nickelodeon Donnie as the shy and uncertain type just as Emily sort of is in the books and TV show. I hope that clears things up. Thanks for reading.

And now, on with the story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot for the story and any other characters you may not recognize.

Donatello was excited and nervous. Robyn was coming over to see if they could trace the origin of the text message she'd received. He was busy making sure that the lab was spotless and that everything was perfect when she got there. He wondered what they'd do after they were done. Would she stay for dinner, or would she invite him over for dinner?

Leo had volunteered to bring Robyn to the Lair so that Don could get the lab ready. The last thing his older brother had said to him before he left was, "Don't get your hopes up, Donnie. She may look like April, but she's not April."

Don was offended by his brother's words. "Leo, we're just doing research!" he protested. "I'm not expecting anything from her!" But if truth be told, Don did feel that familiar swooping feeling whenever he saw Robyn or heard her voice. He knew he was being silly, but he just couldn't help feeling that way.

"Donnie, Robyn's here!" Mikey called.

Don snapped out of his thoughts and hurried out of the lab to greet her. "Hey, Robyn, ready to get to work?"

Robyn nodded. "Ready when you are," she replied. "Let's get to it."

"Right this way." He led her into the lab and laughed as she gaped in amazement at all of the things he had.

"Wow! My sister told me about your lab, but her descriptions didn't do it justice," said Robyn.

"April told you about my lab?"

"Yeah, she said it was pretty cool and that you were a genius. I even joked that you could be the next Dr. Frankenstein."

He laughed. "I wouldn't go that far. Now, let's see if we can solve this mystery."

And so they set to work trying to trace the origin of the text message. The longer they tried, the more they failed at it, but Don was still happy Robyn was there. It was almost like old times when April would come to the lab either to ask for Don's help on a homework question or to comment about an invention he was working on. Robyn was just as amazed at how smart Don was, and she thought the same way April did. She even suggested that he could make money off of his work.

"Oh, I doubt I could do that," he replied. "I wouldn't be able to make appearances to showcase my work."

"You could always go in disguise," Robyn suggested. "I could probably find someone who could make something that would allow you to pass for a human."

"That's very kind of you, Robyn, but I can't," he answered. "I'm a ninja. I was raised to stay in the shadows. Besides, most of this stuff has to stay secret. If our enemies were to get ahold of it, there would be trouble."

She nodded. "I understand that, Donnie, but maybe you could invent things that aren't for battle. You could invent things that help people in their everyday lives."

Don contemplated her words for a minute. How many times had he dreamed of showcasing one of his inventions to the world? He'd always imagined winning the Nobel Prize for something outstanding. But then his fantasy would be shattered at the realization of who he was and how his dream wouldn't be possible. There was no way he would be able to do such a thing.

"It's not gonna happen, Robyn, so drop it," Don said shortly.

"Okay, I won't say anything else about it," she promised.

"Hey, guys, lunch is ready!" Mikey called. "Come and get it!"

"I'll be right back," Don told her.

"We can just eat with the others," said Robyn.

Don shook his head. "No, it's better if we stay in here so we aren't interrupted."

"You mean, we're still going to work on this while we eat lunch?" Robyn asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I do it a lot," replied Don. "Plus, it'll give us some time to talk alone." He stood up and went to the kitchen where he found his brothers and Splinter waiting for him.

"Where's Robyn?" asked Leo.

"She's still in the lab," answered Don. "We're going to have lunch in there so we can continue to work."

"Hey, no fair!" grumbled Mikey. "You never let me eat food in your lab, but you can make an exception for Robyn?"

"Yes, because unlike you, Robyn and I will be careful." He waited until Mikey was done making grilled cheese sandwiches and took two for himself and Robyn. He poured sodas for them and took it all back to the lab on a tray.

"Smells good, Donnie," commented Robyn. "Did you cook this?"

"No, Mikey made it," he answered. "I've tried to cook, but I'm not good at it. Mikey's the best cook we have right now. For a long time, we only had algae and worms to eat. Then after we met Murakami-san, he taught us how to cook other things. Leo and Raph cook sometimes, but Mikey really likes to do it most of the time."

"You lived on algae and worms for most of your lives? Why didn't Splinter just go up to the surface and get you food? I'm sure he could have managed it."

"I think Splinter was afraid of going to the surface," Don explained. "He wanted to keep a low profile because of what he was. I also think he was afraid Shredder would find him."

"Do you think Shredder killed my sister?" Robyn asked him.

"No, we looked into him when she first went missing," Don replied. "He wasn't behind it."

Robyn wilted in her chair. "It just stinks that she's not around," she said. "I used to be jealous of her because she was doing all of the things I wasn't able to do. Before she disappeared, we got into a fight, and I told her I hated her. I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but I never got the chance to say it."

Don looked concerned. He could never picture April fighting with anybody. "What was the fight about?"

"It was about you guys," Robyn answered. "I wanted to meet you, but April said it wasn't a good idea. I thought she was saying that on purpose to make me mad, and I just reacted before I thought about it. I know it was stupid of me to get mad at her for that, but it's too late now. She died never knowing how I really felt, and she died hating me."

"Oh, I don't believe that," Don told her. "April wasn't the type to hold a grudge. I'm sure if she'd had the chance, she would have forgiven you. She was the most selfless person I ever knew. Whenever I was upset, she always knew how to make me feel better." As he spoke, he looked at Robyn and suddenly saw April. A feeling he hadn't had in three years washed over him, and before he knew it, he leaned over and kissed her.

Robyn pulled away abruptly. "Donnie, what was that for?" she asked.

"Robyn, I'm sorry!" Don cried. "I shouldn't have done that! I was thinking about April, and I guess I just got carried away. Please don't be mad at me. It's just that I loved April."

"Donnie, calm down," Robyn soothed. "I already know that you loved April. She told me that you kissed her one day."

Don was shocked. "What else did she say?" he whispered.

"She told me she loved you, too," Robyn replied. "She said that she always did love you, but she was afraid that you didn't feel the same way she did. She was going to talk to you about it, but that never happened. I know that if she were here now, she'd tell you how she felt. I can see why she did feel that way about you, Donnie. You're really nice and a lot of fun to be around."

"So, you're not angry that I kissed you?"

She smiled. "Not at all. In fact, I think you're a good kisser." She checked the clock on her cell phone. "I'd better get home before Dad has a fit."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Don asked her.

"Sorry, but I promised Leo he could take me back."

"Oh, okay. Just don't tell anyone what happened here, got it?"

"Got it," answered Robyn.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Actually, I promised Raph I'd hang out with him. But don't worry, Donnie, we can hang out another time." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "See you later."

Don watched her leave and put his hand on the spot she had kissed. Had that just happened? Did Robyn do that as a friendly gesture, or was it something more? He thought about Leo's warning earlier that Robyn wasn't April. Was he transferring his feelings for April onto Robyn? Was it right for him to feel this way so soon after April's death? What if Robyn changed her mind and decided she didn't like Don in that way? No, that wasn't true because if it was, she wouldn't have said he was a good kisser and wouldn't have kissed him on the cheek. That meant she really did like him.

Humming to himself, Don left the lab and found Raph and Mikey playing a video game. Both of them looked up when they heard Don come in.

"You look happy," Raph commented. "Did you crack the code?"

"No, we didn't, but we tried our best," Don answered.

"Then why are you so happy?" Mikey asked. "Shouldn't you be all sad and stuff?"

"I'm happy because Robyn's a good friend, and even though we didn't solve the mystery, we still had fun being together. Is that good enough for you, Mikey?"

"Yeah, that's cool," Mikey replied.

"Good." Don went to the kitchen and got himself a Coke. He wanted to tell his brothers what had happened between him and Robyn, but he was afraid they'd make fun of him or tell him the relationship wasn't possible. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and watched Mikey and Raph battle it out until Leo came back.

"Hey, Donnie, Robyn told me you couldn't trace the texts," Leo said. "I'm sorry about that. Are you going to try again?"

"I don't know," answered Don. "If Robyn and I couldn't crack the code, then there's no way I can do it on my own. I guess I'll have to accept that this is something I just can't fix."

"What, you're giving up?" asked Raph. "You can't do that. We have to stop this!"

Don glared at him. "I can't do anything else!" he snapped. "I tried and failed!"

"Then maybe it's up to me to do something. If you can't solve this, maybe I can."

"And how are you going to do that?" Leo asked him.

"That's my business," answered Raph.

Don went to his room and lay on his bed as Leo and Raph began to argue. Why did this have to happen to him? He was supposed to be a genius, yet he couldn't trace a simple text message. That meant that A was smarter than he was to be able to remain inconspicuous.

At that moment, Don's phone chimed. Heart pounding, he shakily opened the text and had guessed right as to who was the sender.

**It must suck not to be such a genius, Donnie. Even you can't find me because you're so stuck on April. Robyn may look like her sister, but she's not the same. You better watch your back.—A. **

A/N: And so ends another chapter. Yep, Don kissed Robyn and is now even more confused than ever. And it looks like A is still on the war path. I'm having so much fun with this story, though I don't know when the next update will be. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Bark and Bite

A/N: Hey, guys, sorry it took me so long to get this story going again. I've just been dealing with a lot of sinus problems and haven't been in the mood. But even though I have a bit of a headache now, I'm still putting this out there because I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Thanks to all of those who have read, reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. It means so much to me to know that you guys like what I'm doing with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. Lucindra is property of Mirage Comic. Robyn is also property of Mirage Comics as far as I know. The plot for this story is mine alone.

Raph made his way to Robyn's apartment, anxious to get stared with their mission. The plan was to go to Lucindra's apartment and bring her along so she could help out. He hadn't told his brothers what they were planning to do because he knew Leo would jump down his throat if he did. So he just told them they were going to Lucindra's to hang out and watch TV.

"You better not drink any beer, Raph," Leo warned him.

"I won't, Leo," he answered. "I told Cindra we can't do that anymore, and she gets it. Get a grip." Why did Leo always have to get on his case? It wasn't like he couldn't take care of himself.

Raph snapped out of his thoughts as he approached Robyn's apartment. He was determined to solve this mystery his way since Don had failed at it. He knocked on Robyn's window and hoped that she remembered her promise.

Robyn opened her window and smiled at Raph. "Right on time," she said.

"You ready for this?" Raph asked her.

Robyn shrugged. "I guess. What are we doing exactly?"

"I can't talk about it here," Raph told her. "You'll find out when we get to Cindra's. Got it?"

"Got it, Mr. Grumpy Gus," Robyn quipped.

Raph pointed a finger at her. "Don't get smart with me. I ain't in the mood. Now, let's go."

Lucindra was waiting for them when they arrived. She led them inside and offered them drinks, but Raph declined.

"We don't' have time for that," he told her.

"Raph got up on the wrong side of the bed today," teased Robyn.

"Ah, so that explains his angry mood," Lucindra quipped. "Either that or he has male PMS."

"You only wish I did," Raph retorted. "Enough with the jokes. We've got work to do."

"I still don't get what this is about," said Robyn.

"We're tryin' to find out who sent those messages," answered Raph. "You and Don tried trackin' the origin, but that didn't work. So, we're gonna patrol the rooftops and see if we can catch them in the act. We'll look at anyone sendin' text messages and see if they're A."

"Okay, but how are we gonna know if it's them if we can't see what they're texting?" asked Robyn.

"We can with these." He produced what looked like ordinary binoculars and set them on the coffee table.

"I don't think binoculars are gonna cut it, Raph," said Lucindra.

"These babies have special lenses that can zoom in closer and see what regular binoculars can't," answered Raph. "Don invented them, but he hasn't had a chance to take them out yet. This will be their first test run."

"Does Don know you took them?" Lucindra asked him.

Raph grinned at her. "Nope, I snuck them out of his lab," he said proudly. "He'll probably kill me for it, but it's worth it. Now we can finally put an end to all of this."

As they left, Robyn whispered to Lucindra, "Is he always this mean?"

Lucindra laughed. "Nah, he's pretty chill most of the time," she answered. "His bark is worse than his bite."

"Have you experienced both?"

"No, but Mikey told me about the time Raph bit him when they were little. I definitely wouldn't want to cross him."

"Here we are," Raph declared. "A perfect spot." He tossed binoculars to the girls and instructed them to look for anyone who was texting. "With any luck, we'll catch the idiot who's doin' this."

And so, they began, but each time they saw someone who looked suspicious, it turned out the text was to a loved one or a friend. The lack of any leads was getting to Raph, and after two hours, he declared the mission a failure.

"Ah, screw this!" he grumbled. "There's no way we're gonna catch anybody."

"I could've told you that," Lucindra muttered.

They headed back to Lucindra's for some pizza and drinks to kill some time. Lucindra talked about her job and some of the customers she had to deal with. Raph could tell she hated working there, but she had no choice if she wanted to stay on her own. She could never go back to her mother.

"So, what do you plan to do with yourself?" Lucindra asked Robyn.

"My aunt's giving me the apartment over the antique shop," Robyn replied. "I'm going to work there in exchange for getting to live there. I think it's a fair trade."

"Man, I wish I could move out," Raph said wistfully. "I love my dad and my bros, but I just feel like I could be doin' more with my life, you know?"

Both Robyn and Lucindra nodded. They knew what it was like living a better life and how wonderful it could be.

"Oh, I'd better get home," Robyn announced. "I don't want my dad to freak out that I'm not there. It'll be better when I have my own place."

"When are you gonna get it?" asked Lucindra.

"Soon," answered Robyn. "The antique shop apartment is just temporary until I save up enough for my own place. Then I can come and go as I please."

"Will your dad go back to California?" Raph asked her.

"No, he's going to transfer back here," answered Robyn. "He hates the idea of leaving me here alone."

"But you won't be living with him," pointed out Lucindra.

"I know, but he doesn't want to leave me. He wants to make up for the times he's missed out on spending time with me."

"I'd better walk you home," said Raph.

"You don't have to, Raph," answered Robyn. "I'll be fine."

"There are all sorts of weirdo out on the street," protested Raph. "The last thing I want to do is let one of them mess with you."

"I can walk home on my own!" retorted Robyn. "I've got a can of pepper spray, and I have my cell phone. If I get into trouble, I can just call you."

Raph sighed in frustration. "Okay, fine," he said. "Go home. I'll talk to you later."

"Yep, talk to you later. Nice meeting you, Lucindra."

"You too," replied Lucindra. "Stay safe out there."

Robyn thanked her and headed out. Raph waited a few minutes and left, saying goodbye to Lucindra. He followed her via the rooftops. There was no way he was letting her go home by herself after what happened to her sister. And, as it turned out, it was a good thing Raph was tailing her because she ran into two men.

One of them smiled as he spotted Robyn. "Hey, you look just like April," he said. "Are you related to her?"

"Yeah, I'm her twin sister," Robyn replied.

"No kidding," the second man said. "We used to go to school with her. I always thought April was smokin' hot. It's too bad I never got to go out with her."

"Too bad for you," replied Robyn. It was clear she didn't want anything to do with him. She tried to get past them, but they blocked her way.

"But now that you're here, maybe I could get my chance," the first man said.

"Yeah, we can take turns," the second one said.

Robyn leveled them with a stare. "I wouldn't go out with either of you if you were the last things on this planet," she told them.

"Ah, now that's no way for a lady to behave," the first man said as he and the second one closed in on Robyn.

"And that's my cue to enter," Raph muttered as he leapt down. "I'd back away from her if I were you."

"Stay outta this, freak!" the first man snarled. "You're too ugly for her."

Raph gritted his teeth at the remark and pulled out his sais. "Say that again!" he shouted. "I dare you!"

"Oh, look at that, Jay," the first man said. "He's got some pitchforks."

"No, they look like salad tongs to me, Dave," Jay replied.

"Yeah, you're right," Dave answered. "So, what are you gonna do, freak?"

Rap got into a fighting stance. "Why don't you stick around and find out?" he taunted. "Give me your best shot."

Dave ran at Raph, poised to throw a punch. Smirking, Raph dodged it and swept Dave's legs out from under him. Enraged that his friend had been taken down, Jay grabbed a discarded piece of wood and came at the red-clad Turtle. Raph parried Jay's attacks and countered with some moves of his own. He managed to knock Jay's weapon out of his hand and gave him a roundhouse kick to the stomach. Realizing they were no match for Raph, the two men fled. Raph wanted to go after them, but the sound of clapping reminded him that he needed to take Robyn home.

"Wow, Raph, I think Lucindra was wrong," she said. "Your bite is definitely worse than your bark."

Raph rounded on her. "Now do you see why I wanted to take you home?" he snapped. "The streets ain't safe at night. It's not smart to go in an alley either. That's when you become a target. Now, let's go."

After he dropped Robyn off, Raph went home, mumbling about how stupid Robyn was to go off like that. Then his phone chimed, indicating that he had a text. Thinking it was Don ready to bawl him out for taking his equipment he sighed and opened the text. He read it and let out a growl of frustration. When would this ever end?

**Nice try, Raph, but you're going to have to do better than that to catch me.—A. **

A/N: And so it keeps happening. I'm so glad I could get this chapter out to you. I'll try and be better about updating, but if I'm not, feel free to throw tomatoes at me. So, we still don't know who A is, but things are starting to heat up. Next chapter will be even better. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


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